WKDK
Road Trips
sponsored
by
Ernest
Shealy (below) of the Newberry County Museum provides
the WKDK Road Trip each month on the Coffee Hour.
2011
Road Trips
Holiday Road Trip
(December)
Spooky Times
(October)
A Hop Over to Prosperity
(August)
Beat the Heat
(July)
A Summer Road Trip
(June)
A Revolutionary Trip
(May)
Anxiously Awaiting Spring
(February)
2010
Road Trips
Building a Better Ghost Story
(October)
Some Virginia Connections: Pt. 2
(September)
The Virginia Connection: Pt. 1
(August)
Welcome to Little Mountain!
(July)
A
Revolutionary Trip
(April)
Spring
Has Sprung
(March)
Hoping
for Spring
(February)
There
and Back Again:
Circumnavigating Lake Greenwood (January)
2009
Road Trips
December l November
l October
September l August
l July
June l May l April
March l February l January
Holiday Road Trip
December 2011
It’s the holiday season again. As friends and family gather, one of the traditional ways to spend an afternoon and reminisce is to get out and drive around Newberry County. This trip is designed to form a roughly circular path around Newberry, interspersed with interesting sites and tidbits of history intended to spark conversations and fond reminiscences. It also offers chances to veer off the trip to visit other places in the county.
Begin your tour on the Square in historic downtown Newberry. Be sure to come back after dark to enjoy the light display. Head east along Main Street and turn left on College Street. While driving in the city and county this time of year be sure to watch for colorful seasonal displays that seem to pop up everywhere. Some are old and traditional – appearing every year at this time –while others seem to be more contemporary. Camellia Sasanqua is still in bloom from the fall while Camellia Japonica is starting its winter bloom cycle. Some Paperwhite Narcissuses are starting to bloom. This is the time of year when evergreens are most noticed and anything with berries is in its glory. Turn left on Hwy 76 and right on Old Whitmire Highway (as opposed to Hwy 121 which is the “new” Whitmire Hwy).
In the woods to the left after Folk Road is Tea Table Rock, where ladies of the area delayed Tarleton sufficiently to turn the tide of the American Revolution. Turn left on Beth Eden Church Road. Beth Eden Lutheran Church will be on your right. Farther down the road on the right is the monument at Monument Road commemorating the men who were killed when two B-25’s collided near here in 1943. On down the road on the left is the Renwick-Carlisle House. This antebellum house was the home of Dr. M. A. Renwick.
Turn left on Jalapa Road. (If you were to turn right, you would eventually get to Whitmire.) After crossing I-26, turn right on Indian Creek Road. (If the road were still accessible, a left turn here would take you to John’s Mountain [a really big hill with steep sides and an altitude of 526 feet] and the site of Old Tranquil Methodist Church.) Turn left on Riser Road. Turn left on Hwy 76. (A right turn here would take you to Kinard’s and off the map into Laurens County.) Turn right on Gary’s Lane. You will cross the track of the old CN&L Railroad and Bush River (which looks like a creek at this point). When you get to Bush River Road, Bush River Baptist Church will be on the left. Continue on Floyd Road. Turn left on Belfast Road. As you make the turn, the Washington Floyd House, circa 1840, will be on the left. Turn right on Belmont Church Road.
What’s black and white and green all over? Why, a herd of Holsteins in a new field of green winter grass, of course. Turn left on Island Ford Road. (A right turn here would take you to Chappells.) Take the first right on Silverstreet Road. Shout “Moo!” at all the cows. Turn right on Hwy 34. (A right turn here would take you to Silverstreet while a hard right would take you back toward Newberry.) Turn left on Werts Road. When you cross the railroad tracks, pause to remember the fatal train and bus collision that occurred here on December 18, 1946, when the bus driver and eleven children were killed. Turn right on Deadfall Road and stay on it as you traverse the crossroads.
Down Deadfall Road to the left stands New Chapel Methodist Church. Beyond the church, on the right, the Cannon House (circa 1867) faces George Loop. The old two story house is clearly visible in the bend in Deadfall Road. Near the end of the road on the left is Hannah School, a Rosenwald School from the 1930’s. Turn right on Hwy 395. Turn left on Counts Sausage Road. (Watch out, this intersection will sneak up on you.) When you cross Bush River, it really looks like a river at this point. Turn right on St. Luke’s Church Road. This is a winding sort of mountainous-looking stretch of Road. St. Luke’s Lutheran Church is, of course, on the left at Stoney Hill Road. Turn left on Stoney Hill Road. When you cross Hwy 391, the road name changes to Mt. Pilgrim Church Road. (A left turn at that point would take you to Prosperity.) Cross Macedonia Church Road. Be sure to notice Mt. Pilgrim Lutheran Church on a bend in the road to the right. The present field stone sanctuary was built in 1934. Shortly after the church, a hill top offers a view of Little Mountain.
Turn right on Hwy 76. Turn left on Caldwell Drive. (That’s just after the big tree! To get to Little Mountain, stay on Hwy 76 or sneak up on it by taking the next right on Mt. Tabor Church Road.) Turn left on Kibler’s Bridge Road. At one point you will have to make a sharp right turn to stay on Kibler’s Bridge Road instead of Berly Boland Road. Off to the right is a typical Newberry farmhouse from the mid-19th century. Turn right on Hwy 773. After crossing I-26, St. Paul’s Lutheran Church will be off to the right. Founded in 1761, the present granite building was built in 1936. Turn left on Jollystreet Road.
Turn right on Boinest Road. At a bend in the road, at the top of a hill to the left is the Boinest House (circa 1845). This was the home of Rev. Thaddeus S. Boinest who served as pastor for many churches in the area and was the founding pastor of the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer. Shortly after the house, you’ll cross Cannon’s Creek. Turn right on Hwy 219 and merge in with Hwy 176. Turn left on New Hope Road. (Going straight here would take you to Pomaria.) On the left is Bethlehem Lutheran Church, with its two square towers. To the left at the end of Hughey Ferry Road stands a typical Newberry County farmhouse from the nineteenth century. Turn left on Graham Road. (Going straight here would take you to New Hope Methodist Church for which the road is named.)
Turn left on Graham Cemetery Road. On the left at the turn is the Graham House. It is typical of the small farm houses which were built in the early nineteenth century. Turn right on Livingston Road. Turn left on Hwy 34. The Wicker House on the left corner was built prior to 1840. Turn right on Mt. Pleasant Road. (This is another road named for a Methodist Church.) Turn left on Mt. Bethel-Garmany Road. (If you kept going straight, you could take Maybinton Road to Maybinton and then take Brazelman’s Bridge Road to meet back up with the trip.)
Turn right on Hwy 176 and right again on Molly’s Rock Road. The rock will be off to the right. This road follows the old trace of the Buncombe Road. It was part of the Carolina Road that brought settlers to the area from Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania. Also down this road is Molly’s Rock Park. Turn right on Hwy 176. This road is incredibly straight. When you cross King’s Creek, you’ll see a really, swampy lowland. Turn left on Old Whitmire Hwy. Turn left on Hwy 121 and return to historic downtown Newberry.
Note: This Road Trip is dedicated to the memory of Virginia Medlock who died in November. She was an integral part of my Road Trip Team and hardly ever missed a trip. Even before the Road Trip of the Month, she, mother and I enjoyed our Sunday afternoon excursions. Ernest Shealy
NOTE: The November Road Trip was a repeat of the Thanksgiving 2010's Trip.
Spooky Times
October 2011
It’s that time of year again. Summer is gone and fall is fighting to show itself before winter takes over. The days are shorter and the nights are getting longer. It’s a time for long shadows, falling leaves and beautiful sunsets. It’s time for ghost stories. There is something about a ghost story that satisfies a deep need within us: whether it is the grain of truth that adds to the reality of the story or the realization that, no matter how bad things get, they can always be worse. Newberry has some haunting settings and some areas that are downright spooky, but documented and recorded ghost stories are few and far between. Our early historians seemed to have taken a scientific approach at explaining away the ghosts. You won’t find many unexplained stories in O’Neall’s part of the Annals of Newberry.
While driving around to the places in this month’s trip, watch out for colorful foliage and spooky decorations (the spiders seem to have been working overtime).
Begin your tour on the Square in historic downtown Newberry. The Square has been the center of activity for downtown Newberry for over two hundred and twenty years. It is easy to imagine this as a nexus of spiritual activity reflecting the living drama that took place around it. Here justice was dispensed, people were married, sentences were carried out and news was exchanged – fertile ground for ghost stories. With one block around the Square currently unoccupied, I expect that tales will soon form around Mollohon Row. They will probably include stories of old taverns, barroom brawls, lovers’ quarrels, well-dressed ghosts and the haunting sound of tuba music.
While on the Square, look for the ghost at the Visitors Center. People who have worked in the Visitors Center think that it may be haunted by its founder: Mary Ann Butler Evans. Mrs. Evans established the “Ladies’ Lounge” shortly after the court house moved into the new building on College Street in 1908. At the time, there were sitting rooms on the main floor and rest rooms in the basement. The ghost produces the sound of the Main Street doors opening and closing when no one is around. She also has been known to turn the basement lights off when they are on unnecessarily; however several repairmen have questioned whether it was necessary to turn the lights off while they were working in the basement.
Across from the southeast corner of the Square stands the old Newberry Hotel. It was built in 1880, replacing an earlier building which burned in the 1879 fire. A ghost story associated with the hotel relates that a beautiful woman with long red hair was seen walking up Main Street from the railroad depot one morning. She was noticed by every man she passed along the street. She took the corner room of the hotel (the tower) and was seen all day standing at the window, staring as though she were waiting for someone. She was found dead the next morning. It was ruled a suicide, and the coroner indicated that the young woman had been expecting a child. Whether she was waiting for the father to arrive or whether she waited there for some other purpose, we may never know, but it is said that she can still be seen standing at the window of the tower, watching and waiting.
On the other side of the Square stands the Newberry Opera House. There’s something about the cavernous space of an auditorium and the interconnected rooms backstage that lend themselves to ghost stories. Maybe the emotions poured out from the stage over and over by traveling shows linger and combine to form a single surviving spirit. Whatever the case, at least two ghosts have been reported wandering in the Opera House.
From the Square, head west on Main Street. Turn right on Drayton Street. At Willowbrook Park, turn left on Crosson Street and keep going. The Newberry Cotton Mills village was the most complete of the mill villages in Newberry. West End had schools, churches, a park, a cemetery and even a ghost. Near the end of the street on the right (behind Newberry Middle School) is West End Cemetery. This is the setting for the “Bride of West End.” Generations of children grew up in the village hearing about the woman in the white flowing dress who wanders about the cemetery. She is supposed to be waiting for her true love, who left her waiting at the altar.
From the cemetery, retrace your route back to Drayton Street and turn right. Turn right on Boundary Street. As you leave town bear left on Dennis Dairy Road. A few miles down the road on the right is the Quaker Cemetery and the site of the old Quaker Meeting House. The Annals relates a “ghost” story about this site. Some men in town heard that the dam at Mendenhall’s Mill had broken and it seemed like a good time to seine the river for fish. This task apparently could not be accomplished without consuming copious amounts of alcohol. On his way back to town, one of the young men found that he could not make it any farther than the old Meeting House. Despite stories that the place was haunted, he stopped at the church, went inside and laid down for a nap. In the middle of the night, he was awakened from sleep by a low mournful groan emanating from the very walls of the church. He was so startled that he ran all the way back into town where he told everyone he had heard a ghost. Later it was revealed that another man, after enjoying the taverns downtown a bit too much, had fallen asleep under the church, directly below the first man. The source of the moaning had been discovered.
Continue down Dennis Dairy Road and turn left on Dennis Dairy Lane. Turn left on Hwy 395. When you cross Bush River, you will be near the site of Bobo’s Mill, which is the setting for the “Phantom Rider of Bush River.” First published in 1860, it is one of the oldest written ghost stories in the state. Set during the Revolutionary War, it recounts the tale of Charity, a Quaker girl, and her lover, a patriot soldier. The soldier vowed to return from the war in one year, dead or alive. On the appointed day he failed to make it back, but that night the sound of his horse could be heard racing up and down the old road. No tracks were found. The sound of horses hooves tell of his attempt to return even after death. (Ghost horses can be heard in several places in the county. Are these all the same horse, or are there more stories waiting to be told?)
Continue back into town on Hwy 395. Turn right on Caldwell Street. Turn right on Coates’ Street. On the left is the Village Cemetery. I know of no ghost stories associated with the old cemetery, but it’s about the spookiest place in the downtown. The resting place of Newberrians since 1809, there are many unmarked graves here.
Turn left on Boundary Street and right on College Street. Visit Rosemont Cemetery. While there, listen for the ethereal music described by John Chapman at the end of the Annals of Newberry. In the past, I have experienced unexplained interference while recording or filming at the site. (Many years ago I heard horse’s hooves here, but it turned out to be joggers.) Go back up College Street to return to historic (and spooky) downtown Newberry.
A Hop Over to Prosperity
August 2011
We’ve passed through Prosperity on the last couple of Road Trips, but it’s been a while since we actually stopped to take a closer look. This month, as the summer heat begins to think about the coming fall, let’s spend some time in the county’s third largest community.
Begin your tour on the Square in historic downtown Newberry. While on the Square, be sure to notice the elaborate patterns of corbelled (projecting) brickwork on the old Bergen’s buildings in the 1200 block of Caldwell Street. Newberry had some skilled brick masons in town from the 1880’s until the early twentieth century. We’ll see similar brick patterns on some of the buildings in Prosperity. Also from the Square, look west toward the top of the hill and the railroad tracks. Just as the coming of the South Carolina Railroad in 1851 gave Newberry a big economic boost, that same railroad had a depot in what became Prosperity.
From the Square, head east on Main Street. As in many older cities, large residences were built along the main street through town. Newberry is no exception. As we drive out Main Street notice the grand homes which cluster around the downtown. Turn right on Glenn Street. Turn left on Adelaide Street. On the left, in the far building of the Newberry Fairgrounds is the Ballentine Farm Museum (which will be open next month for the Ag Expo).
Bear to the right onto Hwy 76. This highway follows the ridge through Newberry County and runs parallel to the tracks of the old South Carolina Railroad and the Columbia, Newberry & Laurens Railroad. It also very roughly parallels an old road which ended up in Charleston. On the right at the corner of Colony Church Road is Colony Lutheran Church. Founded in 1845, this church is about halfway between the older congregations of St. Paul’s and St. Luke’s.
Bear right on North Main Street. On the hill to the right is the Wise-Connelly House, circa 1852, with its portico. On the left is Wightman Methodist Church. The origins of this congregation date back to Bethesda Church which was founded in 1848 about a mile south of town. The present sanctuary was completed in 1968. On the left is the Bowers House (circa 1881) which was originally built to house Wightman Church but was converted to a residence in 1928 when a new church was constructed. On the right, just passed the Post Office was the site of the Wise Hotel.
Welcome to downtown Prosperity. Pull into a parking lot on the Square and have a walk around the business district. The name “Prosperity” was first associated with this area in 1802 when Prosperity ARP Church was established nearby. The first Post Office was created in 1827 under the name “Stoney Battery” but was changed to “Frog Level” in 1832. The three names were used off and on by the community and the Post Office until 1851 when the town of Frog Level was incorporated as a depot on the South Carolina Railroad. The name was officially changed to Prosperity in 1873.
The origin of the name “Frog Level” like so many place names in the county is shrouded in legend. One legend suggests that a young lady coming from church stopped at a pond near here to water her horse. Noting the number of croaking frogs, she exclaimed, “This must be frog level.” The alternative version has an old man getting drunk and lying by a pond. He was awakened to a chorus of frogs crying, “Frog level!” What can be said for certain is that the present town sits on a plain at about 550 feet above sea level along the ridge that runs down the center of the county. Springs in the area form a series of ponds that act as the headwaters for several creeks flowing toward the Broad and Saluda Rivers.
On the Square are a gazebo and a fountain along with several commemorative monuments. The town clock was erected to honor J. Walter Hamm who served as mayor from 1966 until 1991. There is also a time capsule buried on site in 2003 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Literary Sorosis, Prosperity’s oldest civic organization. A large flower bed acts as a memorial to the town’s Confederate veterans.
Commercial buildings around the Square and continuing up Main Street reflect the prosperous era of the town from the 1880’s through the 1930’s. Most of the buildings are brick with the corbelled decoration mentioned earlier. Several buildings from the 1930’s and 1940’s are constructed of local granite. The depot for the Columbia, Newberry & Laurens Railroad, which arrived in town in 1886 is on the end of the Square at the railroad tracks. It is currently being restored. Across the railroad tracks is Grace Lutheran Church.
Founded in 1859 as Newville, the name was changed to Grace in 1878. On the corner of Grace and Main Streets is the Moseley Building. Though established in 1866, the brick storefront with cast iron pilasters across the front was built in 1886. Along the Main Street side is a mural depicting the porch of the Wise Hotel. You may wish to visit some of the shops and restaurants before getting back in the car and continuing the tour.
Most of the buildings downtown are brick storefronts of one or two stories. Keep an eye out for the corbelled decoration. Prosperity Drug Co. has a shaped parapet. On the right is a one-story granite building (laundromat) constructed in 1935. It has a map of South Carolina on the front with each county represented by a block of granite. On the right in a three-story brick building is the Prosperity Masonic Lodge. The lodge was established in 1866, but the present building was built in 1915. Turn right on Broad Street (following Hwy 391). On the left along the tracks of the South Carolina Railroad is the Frog Level Art Center. To the right (about a block down McNeary Street) is the site of the original frog pond. On the corner of Church Street stands the Dr. C.T. Wyche house. Dr. Wyche (a prominent local doctor who also served as mayor) built the house with its fancy gingerbread decoration in 1890. All along McNeary Street are homes from the turn of the twentieth century. Many of these have wraparound porches, bay windows and gingerbread decoration. The name of the street seems to have taken its name from McNeary’s Ferry on the Saluda River (now under Lake Murray).
On the right, at the edge of town is Prosperity Cemetery. The cemetery was begun as part of the Prosperity ARP Church but was later adopted by the community. The oldest part of the cemetery is in the middle back and has early markers from the old church. Along the front are large marble monuments which, like the houses in town, reflect the prosperous years of the late nineteenth century and the early twentieth century. Turn around and drive back through historic Prosperity on your way back to historic downtown Newberry.
Beat the Heat
July 2011
Begin your tour on the Square in historic downtown Newberry. To say that it has been hot would be an understatement. Newberians have always found ways of cooling off. One historic way was to visit nearby Vanduslah Spring, the site of an 18th century tavern and a popular place for early lawyers in town for court. This was presumably near the present intersection of Nance and Boundary Streets. For today’s trip, grab a cold dairy product and crank up the AC…
From the Square, head south on Nance Street. Turn left on Ebenezer Road. On the right is Timberhouse. This mid-nineteenth century plantation house was built by Jacob Kibler. In the late-nineteenth century it was the home of Congressman George Johnstone. Turn right on Glenn Street Extension. On the left is the Church of Latter Day Saints which was established in 1975. On the left at the corner of Boyd Crossing Road is Ebenezer Methodist Church. Founded in 1814, the present church was begun circa 1880. While driving around the county this time of year, watch out for withering fields. Not much is blooming in the heat except the orange trumpets of Cow Itch vine and the yellow flowers of Bitterweed. Some Queen Anne’s Lace can still be found and, rarely, a few blooms of Maypop (passion flower) can be seen along the roadways. The flowers of the Crape Myrtle are seen in gardens new and old and can also mark old house sites and cemeteries.
Turn Left on Hwy 395. On the right is Hartford Community Center which is in the old school building of 1927. Down the road on the right is the Buzhardt House, a typical mid-nineteenth century farm house. Turn left on Clara Brown Road. On the right at the corner of Schumpert Mill Road is the Schumpert-Cousins House, circa 1885. As you approach Prosperity, on the left is the Moseley House which was built in 1880 with a beautiful two-story porch. Across the railroad tracks, in front of Prosperity Town Hall is the site of Crosson Field School. Begun in the late 1860’s, it was the first public school in the county. Turn right on Main Street. Enjoy the bustling business district of downtown Prosperity.
Stay on Main Street as it returns to the residential area. Prosperity has many fine late-nineteenth century homes. On the left at the corner of Pine Street is the Schumpert-Bedenbaugh House which was begun in 1892 and remodeled in the 1940’s. On the right, set back from the road, is the Luther House with its two-story portico and balcony. It was built in 1880. Stay on Main Street as it becomes Macedonia Church Road. This was once the main road leading to Lexington, but it doesn’t go that far now. After a while, all roads that branch off will lead to the lake. In the late 1920’s the eastern portion of Newberry County was changed forever. Lake Murray was completed in 1930 as the reservoir for a hydroelectric dam on the Saluda River. At the end of the road is Macedonia Lutheran Church. Founded in 1847, the present church was built in 1914. Originally in Lexington County, the county line changed in the early twentieth century. When the lake waters began to rise in 1928, all but one road leading to the church was covered. Head back up Macedonia Church Road. Turn left on Edgewater Drive. At the end of the road is the Higgins-Werts House (circa 1820) which originally stood near Higgins Ferry on Hwy 121 and was later moved to the lake. Return to Macedonia Church Road and turn left. Turn right on Dreher Island Road.
Turn down State Park Road (there is a sign for the park) to visit Dreher Island State Park. Now a major camping attraction on Lake Murray, Dreher Island was used in the 1940’s as a training ground for the Army Air Corps. Return to Dreher Island Road and turn right. Cross the Camping Creek arm of the lake at Adams Camp Bridge. Adams Camp was one of the places to go for fish fries in the late 1930’s and 1940’s.
You are now in Lexington County. This county was formed in 1785 when Orangeburg District was divided. It was named for the Revolutionary war battle in Lexington, MA. On a rather sharp bend in the road is St. Peter’s Lutheran Church. The church is to the left and the cemetery is to the right. The church in the “piney woods” was one end of Piney Grove Road that now is on the outskirts of Columbia. St. Peter’s is nine miles from St. John’s and was established in 1794 when some of St. John’s congregation got tired of walking all the way back to nearby farms.
Stay on Dreher Island Road. This becomes a very winding, mountainous road. Every now and again you can catch a glimpse of Little Mountain off to the left. At some point, this road crosses back into Newberry County. It isn’t marked, this is part of a disputed boundary. At some point, the road becomes Mountain Street in Little Mountain. The road ends at Hwy 76 directly across from Holy Trinity Lutheran Church (begun in 1891 and mentioned in last month’s trip). Turn right on Hwy 76.
Hwy 76 is the road to Columbia (at least for folks around here – actually it goes to Wilmington, NC). Cross back into Lexington County. Welcome to Chapin. Chapin was established in 1891 as a depot on the Columbia, Newberry & Laurens Railroad. Turn left at the traffic light and cross the railroad tracks onto Columbia Avenue. On the right is Mt. Horeb Lutheran Church. Founded in 1891, the present church building was completed in 1963. Off to the right you can see parts of the old downtown. There are a number of houses from the turn of the twentieth century with gingerbread and wraparound porches. On the left is Mt. Horeb Cemetery with its fieldstone walls and arch. Chapin High School is on the right.
Cross I-26. On a bend in the road is St. Jacob’s Lutheran Church. (First the cemetery appears to the left and then the church is across to the right.) This church was organized sometime between 1760 and 1776. The present sanctuary, the fourth on the site, was built in 1956. Cross into Richland County. At the end of the road, turn left on Hwy 176. (This was a narrow miss – there’s another Lutheran Church just down the road to the right!) Hwy 176 in Richland County is Broad River Road. On the right at the corner of Mike Stuck Road is the Stuck-Summer family cemetery. Pine Grove AME actually straddles the highway with the churchyard appearing on both side of the road.
Turn right on Capers Chapel Road. Cross back into Newberry County. An old farmhouse on the right has Spanish Moss on a tree in the front yard. The front porch has the traditional blue ceiling. On the right is Capers Chapel Methodist Church. Founded in 1885, the church was remodeled in 1954. It was named for Bishop William Capers. In the churchyard, directly behind the church is an extremely tall monument which recounts the story of Tonsho Careve and his wife Florida Kelly. Careve sent his wife and infant son back to the Chapin area from Montana in 1920, and stayed behind to settle affairs, but he never made it past Wisconsin. See monument for details.
From Capers Chapel Road, turn right on Hwy 176. Turn right on Mayer Road. In the woods to the right, you can immediately see the remnants of an old farmstead. (It’s amazing how quickly they’ll sneak up on you.) Turn right on Peak Bypass and then left on Church Street (to un-bypass Peak). Peak was established in 1850 as a depot on the Columbia and Greenville Railroad. It was named for H. T. Peak who was superintendent of the railroad. On the left is Peak Community Center which is housed in the old Peak School (circa 1920). There are a number of older homes still standing in the downtown. On the left is the cemetery for Mt. Herman which started as a family cemetery and grew to include the church. On the right is Mt. Herman Lutheran Church (begun in 1889). As you follow the curve onto River Street, the Broad River and the old trestle bridge are visible through the trees. The bridge is now the crossing point into Newberry County for the Palmetto Trail.
At the end of the street turn right. This new road will become Broad River Road. The old road, visible to the right, crossed Crimms Creek at the trestle. That spot was a popular swimming hole in days gone by. Turn left on Hwy 213 (Parr Road). Turn right on Hwy 176. Bear to the left on Hwy 219 and follow as it becomes Main Street to return to historic downtown Newberry.
A Summer Road Trip
June 2011
Summer is here and it feels like it’s already been here for a while. Begin your tour on the Square in historic downtown Newberry. Don’t bother trying to fry an egg on the granite paving in front of the Old Court House, just get in the car, think cool thoughts and enjoy a little history along the way.
Head east on Main Street. This street is built in roughly chronological order from the 1850’s of the Square to the 1930’s of the 1500 block. This was a result of the fires in 1866, 1877, 1879, 1883 and 1907 and a dynamite explosion in 1936. Turn left on Lindsay Street. On the left (in the parking lot) is the site of Thompson Street ARP Church. Founded in 1853, the church burned in 1907 and was rebuilt further up Main Street as Newberry ARP. (As you might guess this section of Lindsay Street was originally called Thompson Street.) On the right just before you get to Scott’s Creek is the newly-refurbished Wells’ Japanese Gardens. Designed by Fulmer Wells in 1930 as a memorial to his grandmother, this garden is a little patch of serenity and calm in the downtown. The lotuses are just starting to bloom. Turn left on Calhoun Street. This section was originally called Pelham Street because Dr. Pelham lived in the house where Whitaker’s Funeral Home is now. Continue across College on Speers Street. Turn left on Nance Street. On the right, behind the police station, is the Gauntt House, Newberry’s oldest residence (circa 1808), and the Newberry County Museum. Continue through the downtown and turn right on Boundary Street. Turn left on Dennis Dairy Road.
A few miles down the road on the right is the Quaker cemetery and the site of the old Quaker church. Quakers began moving down the Carolina Road to this area in the 1760’s. Warned of a coming conflict the congregation began moving west in 1808. By 1822 there were no practicing Quakers left in Newberry. Turn left on Deadfall Road. Off the road to the left is New Chapel Methodist Church. Founded near the Saluda River, the church moved to this site in 1833. The present building was begun in 1879. On the right on George Loop is the Cannon House which was built in 1867. The house played a part in a story written in the Newberry Herald in August 1867. The editor of the paper was invited to a fishing party on nearby Beaverdam Creek, followed by a fish fry and an evening at Dr. Cannon’s new house. In the words of the editor: “it was such a rare old time that the very creek took on a livelier motion, and the ‘skeeters sang in unison while putting in their bills, to the merry tale and laugh… The dinner was thoroughly fishy in its character.” At the end of the road, turn right on Hwy 395.
This time of year, things are blooming fast and furious in the summer heat. Mimosas (not the kind you drink), Magnolias and even a few Crape Myrtles grace yards, forest edges and house sites. Along the roadsides, Queen Anne’s Lace is still blooming, along with the orange trumpets of Cow Itch and Daylilies.
Turn left on Stoney Hill Road. After cresting the hill, a vista opens up of “Bush River valley.” As it nears Lake Murray, the narrow stream broadens, giving it more the appearance of a river. Turn right on Kunkle Road. While driving through this area, there are a good many old farm houses: homes from the early twentieth century with wraparound porches and bay windows and older one-story homes with end chimneys, wide front porches and long additions. Not all of them are still occupied. Turn left on Harmon’s Quarters Road. On the left an old house in a field provides shade for some horses. Turn right on Stoney Hill Road. On the right is an old gas station. Down the road on the right is the old Stoney Hill School. Beyond it on the left is St. Luke’s Lutheran Church. Founded in 1828, the present church was built in 1955.
Turn left on Hwy 391. On the right is Bedenbaugh’s Ginnery. Turn right on Rikard School Road and left into the second entrance to Prosperity Cemetery. This will bring you through the old part of the cemetery – back when it was the churchyard for Prosperity ARP Church. Turn right on McNeary Street. Founded as Frog Level in 1852 (a depot on the Columbia & Greenville Railroad), the name of this town was changed to Prosperity in the 1880’s. Prosperity is blessed with many beautiful homes from the last quarter of the nineteenth century. Cross the railroad tracks on Broad Street and turn left on Main Street. Turn right on Grace Street. Be sure to notice the work getting started on the old depot. Turn right on Elm Street. Cross the railroad tracks and turn right on Hwy 76.
Turn right on Cy Schumpert Road. On the right is Mid Carolina High School. Turn left on Macedonia Church Road. Turn left on Mt. Pilgrim Church Road. On a bend in the road to the right is Mt. Pilgrim Lutheran Church. Founded in 1880, the present church was built in 1934 and is faced with field stone. The cemetery is to the side. Continue down the road. The steep hill is a reminder of our proximity to Little Mountain. (The mountain can be seen through the trees near the crest of the hill.) Turn right on Pa Metts Road. Turn left on Whippoorwill Road. This is a narrow road trace that follows a branch of Camping Creek and passes by a number of farm sites in the Dutch Fork. After Dowd Road, this road becomes windy and mountainous. On the left is the John Adam Boland House, which was built circa 1830. It still has the dogtrot (or breezeway) between the house and the kitchen. Beyond the house on the left a few stones mark a Boland family cemetery. Turn right on Hwy 76.
Though the area was settled in the 1750’s, the town of Little Mountain was established in 1890 as a depot on the Columbia, Newberry & Laurens Railroad. Turn left on Pomaria Street and right on Church Street. On the left is Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, founded in 1891. Turn left on Parr Road. Notice the old farm houses and house sites, typical of homes in the Dutch Fork. Turn left on Hwy 176 and right on Hope Station Road. St. John’s Lutheran Church has served this area for over 250 years and is usually considered the epicenter for the old Dutch Fork. The “new” church is on the right, while the school, cemetery and old church are on the left. The old church was built in 1808. The site of the original church is marked by a granite monument on the other side of the cemetery. Down Hope Station Road, near the point where Crim’s Creek crosses, the Palmetto Trail crosses as it works its way through the state. On the left is St. Paul’s AME Church. Next door to it is the old Hope School, a Rosenwald School which has been renovated as a community center.
Turn left on Peak Road. As you approach Pomaria, Little Mountain can be seen looming over the fields to the left. On the right is Pomaria Cemetery. Turn right on Holloway Street. Turn right on Hwy 176. Turn left on Hwy 219. Stay on Hwy 219 until it becomes Main Street and return to historic downtown Newberry.
A Revolutionary Trip
May 2011
Begin your tour on the Square in historic downtown Newberry. From the Square, head west on Main Street. Turn left on Drayton Street and right on O’Neal Street. When you cross Hwy 121, the road becomes Belfast Road. At Bush River, the old metal trestle bridge to the left is near the site where the British tried to cross the rain-swollen stream in January 1780. The army, divided by the river had to march five miles south to Bobo’s Mill to cross at the nearest bridge.
While driving through the county this time of year, be on the lookout for lots of flowers. Old rambling roses are still visible along the fences and ditches, while Queen Ann’s Lace, Daisies, orange Daylilies and Prickly Pear Cactus are beginning to bloom as well. The white spikes of Yucca often mark old house sites and family cemeteries. The massive white blooms of Magnolia dominate yards new and old.
On the left is Smyrna Presbyterian Church. This church was organized in 1838 by the Boozer, Senn and Clary families. Among the many old monuments in the churchyard is one to Sgt. Henry Boozer (1756-1837) who served in the SC militia during the Revolutionary War. Down the road on the right, at the intersection of Floyd Road, is the Washington-Floyd House, circa 1840. Near the edge of the county on the left is Little River-Dominick Presbyterian Church, founded in 1761. Just beyond it is an entrance to the Belfast Wildlife Management Area. Cross into Laurens County. Formed from the Ninety Six District in 1785, Laurens County is named for Henry Laurens (1724-1792), a leader in the American Revolution and third president of the Continental Congress. On the left is Belfast House. Built in the early nineteenth century, it acquired its portico in the 1940’s. Just beyond Jefferson Davis Road (the Confederate President passed near here on his way to Abbeville near the end of the war) on the left is a large antebellum farmhouse. Not far from here is Hayes Station, the site of a Revolutionary War massacre where Bloody Bill Cunningham killed 19 patriots in November 1781.
Approaching Clinton, there are a number of large newer homes. Clinton (the “t” is silent) was originally a crossroads of the Columbia to Greenville and the Augusta to Spartanburg Roads, the town was first known as Five Forks. When the Newberry & Laurens Railroad came through in 1854, a new town was laid out and named for a Laurens lawyer, Henry Clinton Young. Hwy 56 becomes Broad Street. On the right is Presbyterian College, which was founded in 1880 and is a long-standing rival to Newberry College (remember the bronze derby incident). On the left is Thornwell Home, a school and orphanage established in 1875. Many of the buildings on the Thornwell campus are constructed of granite. Cross Hwy 76 and the railroad tracks into downtown Clinton. The Confederate monument is on the square to the right.
Stay on Hwy 56. Detour on Hwy 72. Leaving town, Rosemont Cemetery (part of the Newberry Effect) is on the left. After the next intersection, the massive complex of Clinton High School is on the right. Follow the detour onto I-26 (it’s only for about a mile). Take the first exit (Exit 52 – Hwy 56) and turn right. Cross Duncan Creek (the same one that flows through Whitmire). On the left is the entrance to Musgrove’s Mill State Park. On August 18, 1780, Patriot forces lured Maj. Ferguson’s troops into a fortified ravine. Though Patriot forces were outnumbered nearly 2 to 1, the British retreated across the river.
Cross the Enoree River into Union County. Union was formed in 1785 from the division of Ninety Six District and is named for the old Union Church, a multi-denominational church in the area. Before you get to the top of the first hill, you’ve already crossed into Spartanburg County. Spartanburg was formed in 1785 from the Ninety Six District. It was named for the Spartan Regiment, a SC militia unit from the Revolutionary War. (So far we’ve been in four counties which were all part of the same pre-revolutionary judicial district.) Just over the line on the right is a pair of early-nineteenth century gateposts. These were once commonly found at the entrance to plantations in the region.
On the right is a small nineteenth century farmhouse. Make a sharp left on Horseshoe Falls Road. This road is mountainous, with lots of hairpin turns. There is a parking area to the right and several pullovers with access to trails in Musgrove’s Mill State Park. These trails lead to Horseshoe Falls and the ruins of the old bridge to Musgrove’s Mill. About a mile or so up the road, an old farmhouse with many of its outbuildings standing is visible to the right. On the left is a turn-of-the-century home with a grand Doric portico. Turn right on New Hope Church Road. Turn right on Yarborough Chapel Road. On the left is Yarborough Cemetery. A little farther down the road is Yarborough Chapel Methodist Church which was established in 1843. The two story frame building is typical of meeting houses built in the upcountry in the 19th century.
Turn left on Hwy 56. The origin of the name Cross Anchor (together with its neighbor Cross Keys) is not known. According to legend, a ship’s captain and his treasurer settled in the area after the Revolution and built two houses – one with crossed anchors carved in the chimney and the other with crossed keys. The house at Cross Keys still stands, but the other burned down many years ago. But truth gets in the way of a good story as the captain’s dates don’t correspond to the construction dates of the houses. Cross Anchor still has some beautiful homes from the late 19th century, but some could use a little help. Turn left on Hwy 49. Down the road to the left is New Hope Baptist Church cemetery. Stay on Hwy 49 (Union Hwy). Cross I-26. Cross the Enoree River into Laurens County. Just beyond Warrior Creek is the entrance to Roses Unlimited.
Cross I-385 and head toward Laurens. Across the railroad tracks on the right is the Badgett House, a Greek revival style house built in 1846. At the traffic light, turn left on Hwy 221 which becomes Harper Street in Laurens. This area is Wattsville which grew up around the Watts Mill. Cross Business Hwy 76. At the crest of the hill to the left is the Laurens City Cemetery. It is built on a dramatic downward slope of the hill. Bear to the right to get to the downtown and drive around the Square to the left. The old Court House, in the middle of the Square, was begun in 1837 and remodeled in 1858. Turn right on Main Street. On the left is the Episcopal Church of the Epiphany. With its massive Doric columns, it was built in 1845. Beyond it on the right in succession are First Methodist, First Baptist and First Presbyterian Churches. Like Main Street in Newberry, there are many grand old homes, mostly from the end of the nineteenth and beginning of the twentieth centuries. Turn left on Pinehaven Street and left on West Farley Avenue. The first part of this street is through an established early twentieth century neighborhood, but it loses its residential character after a few blocks. Cross Little River which is winding its way east to Newberry County. Turn right on East Main Street (Business Hwy 76). Down the road on the left is the Laurens County Hospital. Beside the hospital is the Ferguson Meditation Garden – a tranquil spot well worth the side trip.
Down the road, once again, is Clinton. Leaving town on the right is First Presbyterian Church. Founded in 1855, the impressive granite building was constructed in 1930. Behind it is the old Clinton Cemetery. Further down the road is Joanna. Originally called Martin’s Depot, it got its start as a depot on the Newberry & Laurens Railroad. Tradition says that a local merchant sold his cotton for high prices after the Civil War and the town became known as “Goldville” from his wealth. The influence of the mill was felt, and by 1950 the town had been renamed Joanna from the Joanna Western Company.
Cross back into Newberry County at Kinards. Stay on Hwy 76 as it eventually becomes College Street and return to historic downtown Newberry.
Anxiously Awaiting Spring
February 2011
Begin your tour on the Square in historic downtown Newberry. It looks like the Old Court House is getting some cleaning, repair and painting. The fourth court house to stand on the Square, this one was built in 1851 in the Greek revival style. The bas-relief decoration over the portico was added during a remodeling following the Fire of 1879.
From the Square, head south on Caldwell Street. On the left is Central United Methodist Church. Founded in 1833, the present Romanesque style sanctuary was built circa 1900. On the right is First Baptist Church, the oldest congregation in town. Though established in 1832, the temple-front church was built in 1908. As we pass by the large turn-of-the-century homes on Caldwell Street, watch out for signs of spring in the yards: camellias, Japanese magnolias and bulbs. On the left is Miller Chapel AME Church. One of the oldest African-American congregations in town, it was established in 1869. In the 300 block of Caldwell Street on the right (just beyond the south fork of Scott’s Creek) is the site of the Newberry Knitting Mill which opened in 1900. Though the building is no longer standing, it was wired for electricity so that the mill could run twenty-four hours a day. Turn left on Nance Street. Stay on Nance as it becomes Hwy 395.
As you drive around the county this month, watch for beautiful spring bulbs, including: Jonquils (bright yellow flowers with slender dark green stems and leaves, and a sweet, rich fragrance); Yellow Narcissus (star-shaped yellow flowers borne in clusters – smaller than a Jonquil but twice as fragrant); Butter-and-Eggs (also called buttercups, loose clusters of petals ranging in color from greenish-white to yellow with blue-green foliage and no fragrance); Snow Drops (stalks of bell-shaped white flowers with green dots, rising from a cluster of dark green leaves); and a myriad of naturalized Daffodils and Narcissuses. Another flower that is prominent this time of year is a yellow shrub called a “February” (Winter Jasmine), featuring small lemon-yellow blooms along a dark green stem. The above flowers may be helpful in identifying old house sites. The house may be gone but the traditional garden plants remain. A weed which is prominently blooming in fields and ditches is the purple henbit. An herb imported from Europe, it is providing a splash of color around the county now.
Down the road on the right is Hartford Community Center in the old school building. The school was formed in 1874 in the old Universalist church near the Dunker cemetery. The present building was completed in 1927. Turn left on St. Luke’s Church Road. As you go down the hill watch to the left for the Rock House, Newberry’s oldest dwelling (circa 1758). Notice how far the road has moved over time, as the old house originally stood directly on the highway. Turn left on Colony Church Road.
Colony Lutheran Church was founded in 1845 halfway between St. Luke’s and St. Paul’s. Turn right on Hwy 76. Off the road to the right is the Fair House. Begun circa 1800, this plantation house is similar to ones in North Carolina and Virginia with a tall central section flanked by smaller wings. Turn left on Bachman Chapel Road. Keep an eye out for beautiful vistas of rolling hills. On the right, at the corner of Candy Kitchen Road, is Bachman Chapel Lutheran Church. Founded in 1886, this church was named in honor of Rev. Dr. John Bachman (one of the founders of Newberry College). When you cross Jolly Street Road the road name changes to St. Philip’s Road. Cross Cannon’s Creek. On the left will be St. Philip’s Lutheran Church with its cemetery on the right. Founded in 1882, the present sanctuary was begun in 1962.
Turn left on Hwy 219. Turn right on St. Philip’s Church Road at Ruff’s store. Turn left on Hwy 176. Turn right on Hwy 34. Turn left on Mt. Pleasant Road. Cross Heller’s Creek. Down the road on the right is a mercantile building that served as Reese’s Store. On the left is the Graham House which is typical of nineteenth century farm houses in the county. Though usually one room in width, these house are usually several rooms in length with chimneys at each end. The presence of two front doors was common here and in the lowcountry. On the left, just beyond Ringer Road, on a little hill is the Darby Cemetery. Turn left on Maybinton Road. Cross Enoree River. The name “Enoree” comes from an Indian word meaning “River of Muscadines.”
Turn right on Tyger River Road. Turn left on Peter’s Creek Road. The Hardy House, circa 1825, is on the right. Built along the old river road, the house retains much of its original appearance and setting. When we cross into Union County, the road name changes to Glymph Road. Like Newberry, Union was one of the counties formed from the Ninety Six District in 1785. Turn right on Maybingdon Road (they misspell it in our neighboring county). On the right is the site of Jew’s Harp Spring (with an historical marker). Near here on the right is the site of The Oaks, the plantation home of Dr. Douglass and one end of the tale of the Hound of Goshen. On the right is St. Matthew’s AME Zion Church. Turn left on Hwy 72-121.
Hwy 176 joins in as we approach Whitmire. Cross the Enoree River back into Newberry County. Stay on Hwy 72. Established as a trading post on the Old Buncombe Road in the 1790’s, the “pearl of the piedmont” became a railroad depot in 1891. As the road merges with Church Street, Whitmire Methodist Church will be on the left with its imposing porticoes. Founded in 1892, it is the oldest congregation in town. Turn left on Railroad Avenue (before the bridge) and left again on Main Street. Most of the downtown was rebuilt after a fire in 1916. On the left at the intersection of Gilliam Street is the town hall, built in 1923. On the right is St. Timothy’s Lutheran Church, which was founded in 1939. The last building on the right was built in 1903. Originally an office for the mill, it has impressive decorative brickwork. At the end of Main Street stands First Baptist Church which moved to the downtown in 1902. Turn right on Glenn Street and then left on Park Street. Along this street stand some of the supervisors’ homes for the mill. At the end of the street is the site of the Glenn-Lowry Mill. Turn right on Central Avenue (Hwy 66). The next few blocks pass through “old hill,” the older section of the mill village. As you leave town, keep an eye out for Mollohon, the Herndon House, which was begun in the 1790’s. The massive Doric portico was part of an 1850’s remodeling.
Turn left on Jalapa Road. Most of the first stretch of this road is part of Sumter National Forest. Keep an eye out for the flowering plants that signal old house sites. Cross Asia’s Branch, a tributary of Indian Creek. Just beyond the interstate on the left (near the end of Indian Creek Road) is a Forest Service road which leads to the site of Old Tranquil Methodist Church. Founded in 1799, Tranquil Church was the site of the first Sunday School in the county (circa 1827). As you come into Jalapa, St. James Lutheran Church is on the left. This church was originally established as Liberty Hill in 1840 and was located near the Laurens County line. In 1899, the congregation moved to Jalapa and was rededicated as St. James. Turn left on Hwy 76. Follow Hwy 76 as it becomes College Street and return to historic downtown Newberry.
Building a Better Ghost Story
October 2010
By now the seasoned road-tripper is familiar with nearly all the traditional ghost stories of Newberry County. Though this month’s trip will include sites familiar to some of those old tales and maybe a few new ones, the focus will definitely be settings suitable for eerie tales. There are three things every good ghost story needs: an event; a grain of truth; and a setting. As we drive along the byways of the county, be aware of the ways in which our beautiful landscape can be downright spooky at times. All it takes are a few long shadows, fog rising from a pasture pond or an abandoned farm to set the stage for a ghostly encounter. Look for spooky decorations in yards. (There are more family cemeteries this time of year than at any other time.) Also, be on the lookout for fall foliage. Despite the dry summer, the colors of fall are becoming more brilliant every day.
Begin your tour on the Square in historic downtown Newberry. While there, remember the story of the woman at the old hotel, the lady in the Visitors Center and the ghost of the Opera House. (Maybe you can figure out what’s going on at the second floor of Delamater’s.)
With all the history that took place on the Square, it is likely that other specters are waiting to be rediscovered behind the facades of stores, on the steps of the courthouse or under the trees in Memorial Park.
From the Square, head west on Main Street. Turn right on Drayton Street and left on Crosson Street. Near the end of the street on the right is West End Cemetery, home of the “Bride of West End.” Across the street is Newberry Middle School which may also be the home of many a nightmare. Turn left on O’Neal Street. Turn right on Gilder Street and right again on Boundary Street. Turn left on Dennis Dairy Road.
A few miles down the road on the right is the old Quaker cemetery. Near here is the setting for one of Newberry’s oldest published ghost stories: “The Phantom Rider of Bush River.” A tale of unrequited love set in the Revolution, the hooves of the rider’s horse can be heard late at night. At the end of the road, turn right on Deadfall Road. (The name of this road is setting enough for a ghostly tale.) Down the road on the left is a spooky old house that used to serve as the Jaycees’ Haunted House. Across Hwy 121 to the right a large oak tree stands on the site of an old hanging tree. Continue on Main Street through downtown Silverstreet.
Just outside of town, bear right on Silverstreet Road. Down the first dirt road on the right is the site of Mt. Zion Baptist Church. Continue down Silverstreet Road and enjoy the views of farm and pasture lands. Turn right on Trinity Springs Road (it eventually becomes Trinity Church Road). The road crosses Beaverdam Creek which at this point is a spooky stream with lots of algae and tree stumps. On the right is Trinity Methodist Church. Founded in 1835 by the merger of Moon’s Meeting House, Shady Grove and Old Kadesh churches, the sound of horse’s hooves are said to be heard on this site. (Maybe the Bush River phantom took a wrong turn.) Turn right on Belfast Road. On a hill to the left across Welch’s Creek is the site of Old Kadesh Methodist Church. Legend has it that a woman being buried in this churchyard awoke from a coma in the middle of her service. Turn left on Rocky Creek Road. On the left is the antebellum Gilder-Sease House. Turn right on Beaverdam Creek Road. As you cross Bush River the pilings of an older bridge can be seen to the right. There is a swampy area to the left which seems ripe for a haunting. Cross Bush River Road. Near the end of the road on the right is the Clary House, built circa 1850. Turn left on Hwy 76.
Turn right on Jalapa Road. On the right is St. James Lutheran Church. Founded in 1840 as Liberty Hill, the congregation moved to this site in 1889 and changed the name. Turn right on Boyd Road. Off to the left can be seen bits of old road trace. The Old Covenanter Cemetery is somewhere off of this road. The road bends sharply to the left and eventually becomes Gilder’s Creek Road. Watch out for wild turkeys. Somewhere in the woods near here is a place called “Fox’s Paradise” where foxes and sometimes ‘possums are kept safe by a ghost. According to legend (the short version) a slave named Cuffee is buried near Jalapa and protects animals from hunters and dogs.
Cross under I-26. Turn right to stay on Gilders Creek Road. This section of the road trip is a ghost story waiting to happen. Turn left on David Branch Road. After all these spooky woods, the road sign looked very alien. Cross a dry branch of Gilders Creek. Turn right on Jalapa Road. Turn right on Beth Eden Church Road. There is a really beautiful hillside of fall colors ahead as you approach the monument and Monument Road on the left. Commemorating the crash of two B-25’s near here in 1943, this site, too, lends itself well to scary tales. Cross Gilder’s Creek. Around a bend in the road on the right is the antebellum Renwick-Carlisle House. On the left is Beth Eden Lutheran Church with its old churchyard. Turn right on Old Whitmire Hwy.
Turn left on Hwy 76 and then right on College Street. Ahead on the left is Rosemont Cemetery and beyond it Newberry College. Both have their own ghost stories to tell. Turn right on Smith Road. When you cross Wilson Road this becomes Pender Ridge Road. Turn left on Mt. Bethel-Garmany Road. A favorite of road trips, Mt. Bethel-Garmany closely follows the old road trace and is particularly beautiful this time of year. Down the road on the left is Lebanon Methodist Church. It was founded in 1875, and its cemetery is down the dirt road to the side of the church. On the right, in a bend in the road is the Chalmers-Brown House. Begun in the 1830’s, it was enlarged in the 1850’s. Follow Mt. Bethel-Garmany Road as it crosses Hwy 176.
Turn right on Mt. Pleasant Church Road. Cross Heller’s Creek. Turn left on Hwy 34. Turn right on Big Pine Road. (I saw a lot of pines, but not the “big” one.) Cross Second Creek. Cross Hwy 176 and turn left on St. Philips Church Road. Turn right on Hwy 219. Turn left on Halfacre Road. On the right is the DeWalt-Gray-Gallman Cemetery. This is another place that boasts the eerie sound of horse’s hooves. (Is it all one ghost or several?) On the left is the Gallman House which was built circa 1859.
Turn right on St. Philips Church Road. Cross Cannon’s Creek. Turn right on Jollystreet Road. Turn right on Hwy 76. There are some really nice scenic fall views along this stretch of road. Strauss Road on the left calls to mind the Strauss family murders of the 1930’s. There are some really nice scenic fall views along this stretch of road. Turn right on Hwy 76. Memorial Gardens is on the right. Turn left on Adelaide Street and return to historic downtown Newberry.
Some Virginia Connections: Part 2
September 2010
Last month our road trip explored connections between the State of Virginia and Newberry County, SC, by driving around our county. This month, the tables are turned and we find ourselves visiting northern Virginia and looking for connections to Newberry. However, first we have to get there. In the old days, settlers from Virginia took at least four months to make the journey south along the Carolina Road. By the mid-19th century, railroads had shortened the time to a matter of days. Now, with interstates and paved roads the trip can be made in eight hours or less. (Air travel is even shorter, but this is a road trip not an air trip.)
There are several ways to get to northern Virginia from Newberry. This is the way I usually go (with a few modifications for the sake of road trip tradition). Begin your trip on the Square in historic downtown Newberry. Head east on Main Street and turn left on College Street. Follow it as the road becomes Hwy 121. At Whitmire, Hwy 72 joins in. At Chester, continue east on Hwy 9. At Richburg, turn left and head north on I-77. After crossing the mountains at Fancy Gap, VA, turn right (north) on I-81. Just because we’re in Virginia, don’t think we’re nearly there. Our goal is above Winchester, specifically Exit 321. You will, of course, need to stop along the way. Here are a few tips accumulated from years of travel back and forth. There are ample rest areas (except for a 103 mile stretch northbound between Christiansburg and Staunton). Hwy 11 and the Blue Ridge Parkway (later the Skyline Drive) parallel the interstates most of the way up, and make for interesting and scenic side trips. Lastly, there’s an imaginary line running through the middle of Virginia which I call the “sweet tea line”. Above this invisible and largely unlabelled line the “house wine of the south” does not exist as we know it.
There are many things I wish I had time to point out along the way and I have stories for just about every exit between here and there. Following are some tidbits. Near the end of North Carolina is Mt. Airy, the hometown of Andy Griffith and the basis for Mayberry. A lot of families settled between here and Winston-Salem on their way south from Virginia. Some even made it to Newberry later on. On I-77 in Virginia, when the New River crosses, a shot tower for making bullets can be seen to the right. Also crossing the river at this point is Hwy 52 – the same road that becomes Meeting Street in Charleston. There is a family cemetery (McGavock) visible on top of the hill at the intersection of I-81. (This is especially visible on the southbound trip.) The Dublin exit has the Ruritan headquarters and also a museum for the Wilderness Road which branched from the Carolina Road at Roanoke (then White Lick) and headed west through the Cumberland Gap. Exit 175 leads to the Natural Bridge. I-64 to Richmond marks the division between the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Skyline Drive. Staunton (ignore the “u”) has the Woodrow Wilson birthplace (his boyhood home is in Columbia) and a Frontier Life Museum. Mt. Jackson has a water tower shaped like a basket of apples and is the home of “Route 11” Potato Chips. Pugh’s Run crosses at mile marker 286.4. (Pugh is a Newberry family that came from Virginia.) The areas close to Winchester have many Newberry connections, some of which will be explored in this trip.
At Exit 321 (Clearbrook and Brucetown) turn left on Hopewell Road. Ahead on the left is Cline Farms (home of fine apples, peaches, etc.). Newberry’s Clines came from North Carolina in the 1850’s but may have come from Virginia beforehand. Beyond that farm, at the intersection of Waverly Road is Hopewell Quaker Meeting.
Established in 1734, it is considered the oldest church west of the Blue Ridge Mountains. It was also the home meeting of many of the Quakers who came to Newberry. A trip to the cemetery next to the meeting house reveals many names in common with Newberry. Along Waverly Road next to Hopewell Church is Waverly Farm, now the home of a dairy. Both the family and the Jersey cows have strong connections to present-day Newberry. The old stone house on the farm was built by Alexander Ross who also built the meeting house next door. (There were Rosses that settled in Newberry near Gilder’s Creek.) Because of the swift-flowing spring on the site, the farm was used as a campground by both Confederate and Union Troops during the Civil War.
Return to I-81 and begin the trek south. Take the next exit to visit the Virginia Welcome Center. They have tons of information on the region, state and I-81 corridor. Back on I-81, the next three exits all lead to Winchester. Founded by Quaker settlers from Pennsylvania in 1732, the town was originally called Frederick after the father of George III. Now the county bears that name. Winchester has a strong history in the French and Indian War, the Revolutionary War and the Civil War. There were three battles of Winchester during the Civil War and many skirmishes nearby during which time the city changed hands seventy times – thirteen times in one day, alone.
While in town be sure to stroll through the grid of downtown streets with eighteenth and nineteenth century buildings. Pay a visit to Mount Hebron Cemetery and to the Confederate and National Cemeteries. Winchester boasts several museums including: George Washington’s office; Museum of the Shenandoah Valley; Stonewall Jackson’s Headquarters; and Abram’s Delight. (This stone house is the oldest in town and has a Newberry family connection.) Winchester was the birthplace of General Daniel Morgan (Revolutionary War), Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd, Jr. (Arctic and Antarctic explorer), and Patsy Cline. Hugh O’Neall, the great-grandfather of John Belton O’Neall died near Winchester in 1740.
Just down the road from Winchester, near Middletown, is Belle Grove. This 1797 home was built by Major Isaac Hite, Jr., and is now a museum operated by the National Trust. Some Hites in Newberry County have a family connection here. It is also the site of the Battle of Cedar Grove where many Newberrians fought during the Civil War.
A little further south and in neighboring Shenandoah County is Strasburg. The Battle of Hupp’s Hill was fought here, where Newberry’s Col. William Drayton Rutherford was killed on October 13, 1864. Today there is a museum and caverns on the site. Nearby Front Royal in Warren County is the site of another important battle. It is also the beginning of the Skyline Drive, Shenandoah National Park and Skyline Caverns.
There are many connections between Newberry and the northern Virginia counties of Frederick, Clarke, Warren and Shenandoah. While in the neighborhood, explore the byways for Newberry names. Some of the towns that may have connections include Boyce, Purcellville, Berryville and others. Enjoy your stay in Virginia, but be sure to be back in historic downtown Newberry in time for next month’s road trip.
The Virginia Connection: Part 1
August 2010
Click HERE to hear
the podcast of this Road Trip
Since my sister married a Virginian, I’ve travelled back and forth to visit her quite a bit. After a while, I began to notice a similarity in surnames and place names between northern Virginia and Newberry County. It didn’t take much research to find a lot of connections between the two places. This trip explores some of those connections on the Newberry side. There are three basic (and much-simplified) categories of connection here: families moving “west” along the Carolina Road from Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia; Newberrians travelling to Virginia during the War (between the states); and community and church ties.
Begin your tour on the Square in historic downtown Newberry. On the north side of the Square is Boyce Street. This street was named for Kerr Boyce, a Newberry merchant who had a brisk trade with Philadelphia along the Carolina Road in the early nineteenth century. His father, John Boyce, had come here from Virginia before the Revolutionary War. From the Square travel east on Main Street and turn left on College Street. At the top of the next hill on the right is Newberry College. Smeltzer Hall, the oldest building on campus, was completed in 1878 and is named for Rev. Josiah P. Smeltzer who was president of the college from 1861 until 1877. Prior to his arrival in Newberry to serve as president of the college and pastor of Luther Chapel, he served as pastor of a church in Salem, Virginia.
Just beyond the college on the right is Rosemont Cemetery. This entire trip could be spent detailing connections between Virginia and the residents of the “silent city adjoining our town.” There are a few, though, that I’d like to point out. At the crest of the hill, enclosed by a brick wall, is the Calmes Cemetery which predates the establishment of Rosemont in 1863. Among those buried there is William Calmes, Sr. (died 1836) who fought the American Revolution. The Calmes family was from Virginia. (My niece in Virginia lives on Calmes Neck Road and was very impressed that I knew the name was pronounced with a short “a” and a long “e.”) Also near the top of the hill is the grave of William Drayton Rutherford who died at the Battle of Strasburg in 1864. Many Newberrians fought in the Army of Northern Virginia during the Civil War and saw action in the Shenandoah Valley. From Rosemont, turn right on College Street. Turn left on Hwy 76 and then right on Old Whitmire Road.
On the right near Inman Drive is the Inman House which was built circa 1870. The Inmans were among many families in the area who came here along the Carolina Road with the Quakers in the last quarter of the eighteenth century. Opposite the end of Folk Road in the woods to the left is Tea Table Rock. The Revolutionary War connection reminds us that soldiers, as well as settlers traveled the road between Philadelphia and the Carolinas. Recent rains have turned everything green here. In the middle of a field of cotton to the left is the Chandler House, home for another family whose ancesstors came down with the Quakers. Opposite the end of Seymore Branch Road on the right is the Dr. George Washington Glenn House. A typical Newberry County farmhouse, the home was built circa 1800. The Glenns also had come to Newberry County from Virginia. The green fields, forests and low rolling hills along this road are among the reasons so many families wanted to move here in the eighteenth century.
Cross Hwy 121. On the left is the site of Long Lane School. Blooming Crape Myrtles seen through the woods mark the site. This time of year these blooming trees help to locate house sites. Cross Hwy 176 onto Brazelman’s Bridge Road.
On the right is a road flanked by concrete piers that leads to the cemetery for Kings Creek A. R. P. Church. One of two eighteenth century A. R. P. churches in the county, many descendants of early settlers from Virginia, Scotland and Ireland are buried here. Cross the Enoree River. Recent rainfall has given the river a muddy appearance. Along the road the yellow blooms of Goldenrod, our state wildflower, remind us that fall is approaching. On the right is Seekwell Baptist Church, one of the oldest African-American congregations in the county. Beyond it on the right is the site of Ebeneezer Methodist Church. Though the church burned in the 1970’s, the old churchyard is still visible. Many Virginia connections can be found here in the Hardy, Lyles, Welch, Epps and other families. At the end of the road, turn left on Maybinton Road.
Venture briefly into Union County. Turn right on Glymph Road, which becomes Peter’s Creek Road as we re-enter Newberry County. Near the end of the road on the left is the Hardy House. This house was built in 1825 by the Hardy family which had come down the road from Virginia in the eighteenth century. At the end of the road turn right on Tyger River Road. On the left is Dogwalla Road. (If you have extra time to travel, this winding road sounds like it should be appropriate for the “dog days.”)
Turn left on Maybinton Road amidst the blooms of Crape Myrtles. Cross the Enoree River. Turn right on Mt. Pleasant Road. Up the hill on the right is the Darby Family cemetery. Turn right on Mt. Bethel Garmany Road. This road (as well as Mt. Pleasant Road) closely follows the original road trace and was part of the Carolina Road that many settlers followed when they were making their way into Newberry. Turn right on Hwy 176 and immediately right on Molly’s Rock Road. This road also closely follows its trace which can often be seen to either side looking like a wide ditch. It is slow traveling this gravel road, but imagine traveling with your whole household down a muddy trace in the rainy winter. Families often travelled between November and March so they could harvest the old crop and get here in time for a late-spring crop. This area was settled by the Crenshaw and Finch families of Virginia who were among the founders of Mt. Bethel Academy. At the end of the road, turn back left on Hwy 176. Turn right on Mt. Bethel Garmany Road.
At a bend in the road on the left is the Chalmers-Brown House which was built circa 1840. The Browns were descendants of settlers from Virginia. At the end of the road, turn right on Hwy 34 (Winnsboro Road). Near the intersection of Wilson Road was the original site of Aveleigh Presbyterian Church. Bear right on Main Street. At Summer Street there is a cluster of homes associated with the Summer family in the late-nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The Summer ancestor, John Adam Summer, came to this area around 1750 by way of Pennsylvania and Virginia. Turn left on Calhoun Street and right on Friend Street. This street takes its name from the Quakers (Society of Friends) who were an important part of the community from the 1760’s through the first decade of the nineteenth century. Turn left on Nance Street and right on Boundary Street. Turn left on Dennis Dairy Road. About a mile down the road on the right is the Quaker Cemetery and the site of the old Meeting. Among the Quaker names that made it to Newberry from northern Virginia were: Gauntt, Coppock, Evans, Pearson, O’Neall, Pugh and Hollingsworth. Many of them may have left after 1808, but they took “Newberry” with them. The place name appears along their westward migration. Cross Bush River. Turn right on Quaker Road. Turn right on Hwy 34-121. The Carolina Road followed several traces as it worked its way across what is now Newberry County. Today that route is roughly covered by Highways 121 and 34. Follow this road back into town and return to historic downtown Newberry.
Welcome to Little Mountain!
July 2010
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the podcast of this Road Trip
Begin your tour on the Square in historic downtown Newberry. Listen. Can you hear it? Above the sound of eggs frying on the sidewalk is the distinctive whisper: “Go to the mountains.” If you don’t have time to travel, then you’re in luck. We have one of those in Newberry County: Little Mountain.
Sure, you can travel there and back along Hwy 76. But today we’re taking a more circuitous route.
From the Square turn left (south) on Nance Street and then turn right on Boundary Street. Turn left on Dennis Dairy Road. While driving through the county, watch for Crape Myrtles. Introduced to South Carolina by Andre Micheaux in the 1790’s, this long-time summer bloomer ranges in color from white and red to all shades of pink and lavender. Also blooming are Cow Itch, potato vine and the ubiquitous orange daylilies. Keep a sharp lookout for wildlife, too. (I saw deer, buzzards, rabbits and wild turkeys while working on this trip.)
Down the road about a mile and a half on the right (at the historical marker) are the Quaker Cemetery and the site of the old Quaker Church. Quakers began settling in this area in 1765, making their way south along the Carolina Road from Virginia and Pennsylvania. By 1806, the meeting at Bush River held sway over the meetings of South Carolina and Georgia. Zachariah Dicks, an itinerant preacher, predicted a great conflict over the issue of slavery. After his predictions, many of the Friends moved west. By 1822, there were no practicing Quakers left in the county. At the end of the road turn left on Deadfall Road. On the left is New Chapel Methodist Church. Founded in the first decade of the 19th century, the church was moved to its current site in the 1830’s. (I guess that makes the previous site “old New Chapel.”) The present church building was begun in 1879. New Chapel marks the beginning of Utopia community. Unlike Thomas Moore’s version (for which this section of the county was named) Utopia is bounded by New Chapel, the Saluda River, Bush River and Stoney Hill. Turn right on George Loop. On the left is the Cannon House which was built in 1867. It was the home of Dr. D. A. Cannon (1831-1890), a local physician. Continue bearing to the left to stay on George Loop. At the end, turn right on Deadfall Road. In the woods across Beaver Dam Creek was the site of Utopia School which consolidated with six other schools in 1924 to become Silverstreet School. Across from Hannah AME Church is Hannah School, a Rosenwald school from the 1930’s. In the 1960’s it, too, was consolidated into Silverstreet.
At the end of the road, turn right on Hwy 395. The Turner House, an old farm house will be on the right. Turn left on Stoney Hill Road. Perched at one hilltop, the view ahead to the next hill is what I like to call “Bush River Valley.” At this point, widening toward Lake Murray, the stream looks more river-like than it does at almost any other point. Down the road on the right is Stoney Hill Community Center in the old school building. The school was established in 1925 when two smaller schools consolidated. In 1958, Stoney Hill was consolidated into Prosperity. On the left is St. Luke’s Lutheran Church. Founded in 1828, the present church was built in 1955.
Cross Hwy 391 onto Mt. Pilgrim Church Road. On the left is the old Bedenbaugh Ginnery. Turn right on Counts Road. There are several old farm houses along this stretch of road. Turn left on Long Road. This rough gravel road with high embankments is reminiscent of an old road trace. Watch out for the washboard effect of the road. After you cross Buffalo Creek, look for a patch of Black-eyed Susans. Turn right on Macedonia Church Road and immediately left on Long Road. This section of the road is paved. Turn right on Mt. Pilgrim Church Road. The steep hill reminds us we’re getting close to Little Mountain.
Turn right on Whippoorwill Road. Cross Pa Metts Road. This is a narrow road trace that follows a branch of Camping Creek and passes by a number of farm sites in the Dutch Fork. After Dowd Road, this road becomes windy and mountainous. On the left is the John Adam Boland House, which was built circa 1830. It still has the dogtrot (or breezeway) between the house and the kitchen. Beyond the house on the left a few stones mark a Boland family cemetery. Turn right on Hwy 76 and right again on Old Dutch Road. Turn right on Efird Metts Road. On the left is the Joe Boland House, circa 1840, with its large stone and brick kitchen chimney visible toward the road. On the right is another Boland family cemetery.
Turn right on Wheeland Road. Turn right on Mill Road. At the end of the road is Wheeland School. This schoolhouse with its corner bell tower was built in 1912. The name comes from a combination of Wheeler and Boland, two of the prominent families in the neighborhood. Turn left on Wheeland School Road. Though part of Newberry County in 1785, this area was part of Lexington from 1802 until 1917. Turn left on Wheeland Road. On the right is the Dan Boland House, circa 1885. With its bay window and wide bracketed eaves, it is a good example of the Italianate style which was popular in the late nineteenth century. Turn right on Mill Road. Cross Stephen’s Creek. There are some nice views of the mountain from here. Little Mountain, originally called Ruff’s Mountain, is the highest point in Newberry County at 825 feet above sea level. It is also the highest point east of Greenville. Called a monadnock, it is a high ridge of bedrock which has eroded away from a mountain range (the Blue Ridge Mountains).
Welcome to Little Mountain. Though the area had been settled in the 1750’s, the town itself was established in 1890 around a depot on the Columbia, Newberry & Laurens Railroad. On the right is Little Mountain Elementary School which was begun as a graded school in 1909. In 1958, the junior high and high school consolidated with Mid-Carolina. On the left is Reunion Park which will be hosting the Little Mountain Reunion in August. Tracing its origins back to 1882, the Reunion is the oldest folk festival in the state. Turn right on Main Street. Turn left on Pomaria Street. On the right is Holy Trinity Lutheran Church (founded in 1891) with its new addition. Stay on Pomaria Street as it leaves town. Turn left on Koon Trestle Road. Turn right on St. Paul’s Church Road. On the right is St. Paul’s Lutheran Church. Established in 1761, it is the oldest Lutheran congregation that has always been in Newberry County (St. John’s was in Lexington for a while). The present granite church was built in 1938 and sits beside a large cemetery. Be sure to notice the granite bench that protrudes from a tree in front of the church. Turn left on Jollystreet Road.
Turn right on Old Jollystreet Road. On the left is the old Jollystreet School. Though this building dates to the 1920’s, a school was started near here in 1845. (There’s a good article on the baseball field in the current issue of the Newberry magazine.) Cross Cannon’s Creek. At the end of the road, turn left on Hwy 219. On the left is St. Philip’s Lutheran Church. Founded in 1881, the present church was built in 1962. Stay on Hwy 219 as it becomes Main Street and return to historic downtown Newberry.
A
Revolutionary Trip
April 2010
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HERE to hear
the podcast of this Road Trip
That
short spurt of hot weather after Easter has left us with everything
blooming at once. Early spring flowers are still to be found amid
April’s glory and a few flowers that we don’t normally see until
May. The pleasant weather calls for a road trip, so today we’ll
travel west to some of our neighboring counties and enjoy the feeling
of going there and coming back again.
Begin your tour on the Square in historic downtown Newberry. Before
our town was founded, John Coate operated a blacksmith shop in what
is now the 1300 block of Main St. It was near this site that British
troops under Sir Banastre Tarleton camped in early January, 1781,
prior to their more noted encampment near Tea Table Rock.
From the Square, head east on Main Street and turn left on College
St. While in town keep an eye out for the beauty of spring found
in Azaleas, Irises and even a few Roses. Turn left on Hwy 76 toward
Jalapa. Driving along the highways there are plenty of flowers and
wildflowers to watch for – bright red Clover, Sourgrass, Vetch,
and the pink, purple and blue of Bachelor’s Button. At the edges
of the woods watch for lingering Dogwood and the red flowers of
Trumpet Vine (Woodbine). The bright green of new leaves is a welcome
change from the bare branches and dark evergreens of winter. White
or purple Irises (Flags) and Thrift often indicate old home sites.
On the left at the corner of Beaverdam Creek Road stands a fine
ante bellum home. It marks the entrance to Jalapa. This small community
was named for a town in Mexico in honor of the many Newberrians
who fought in the Mexican War. Across a field to the right is St.
James Lutheran Church. Founded in 1840 as Liberty Hill, the congregation
moved to this site in 1889 and changed the name. Down the road on
the right is the Glasgow-McCrackin House which was built in 1910.
A little farther along on the left is Wise’s, a favorite spot for
local mustard-based barbecue. Kinards was named for Captain John
Martin Kinard and was established in 1854 as a depot on the Newberry
& Laurens Railroad. On the left is Sharon Methodist Church,
founded in 1854. Cross Hwy 560 into Laurens County.
Formed from the Ninety Six District in 1785, Laurens is named for
Henry Laurens, a leader in the American Revolution. Not too far
down the road is Joanna. Originally called Martin’s Depot, it got
its start as a depot on the Newberry & Laurens Railroad. Tradition
says that a local merchant sold his cotton for high prices after
the Civil War and the town became known as “Goldville” from his
wealth. The influence of the mill was felt, and by 1950 the town
had been renamed Joanna from the Joanna Western Company. At the
intersection of Hwy 66 (Whitmire Hwy) on the right is the vault
of the Blalock Family. Next to the vault is Blalock Memorial Veterans
Park. At the corner of Workman Street is Gilder & Weeks Pharmacy.
(The Newberry store was in the Old Hotel.) On the left at the corner
of W. Calhoun Street is St. Boniface Catholic Church, which is built
of granite.
Just down the road is Clinton (the “t” is silent). Originally a
crossroads of the Columbia to Greenville and the Augusta to Spartanburg
Roads, the town was first known as Five Forks. When the Newberry
& Laurens Railroad came through in 1854, a new town was laid
out and named for a Laurens lawyer, Henry Clinton Young. Coming
into town a number of turn of the century houses can be seen on
the left. Also on the left is First Presbyterian Church. Established
in 1855, the present granite Gothic revival church was built in
1930. Behind the church is the Clinton Cemetery with many fine old
monuments. Continuing down Hwy 76, Clinton’s downtown can be seen
to the right with old storefronts facing the Confederate monument
on the square. Today it’s a far cry from the “mudhole surrounded
by taverns” described by a Presbyterian minister in 1864.
Stay on Hwy 76 to Laurens. Coming into town on the right at the
corner of Woodrow Street is the Zelotes Holmes House, an octagonal
house built in 1858. Just across Little River is Little River Park.
We’re approaching the downtown on Main St. Drive around the Square.
In the center of the Square is the old court house which was built
circa 1857. It now houses a museum. Turn back to the left on Main
Street and then left on Harper St. The Laurens City Cemetery is
on the right on the downward slope of a hill. There is some interesting
statuary among the tombstones. Stay on Harper Street as it becomes
Hwy 221. In the town of Wattsville, a row of churches can be seen
to the left – St. James Methodist Church, Grace Covenant Presbyterian
Church and the Laurens Baptist Association. Turn right on Hwy 49.
On the left is the Badgett House, a Greek revival house with fine
Doric details built circa 1846. Pass by Laurens Academy on the left
in the midst of rolling hills and fields. On the left, at the intersection
of Hwy 308, is Sandy Springs Methodist Church. Its cemetery is across
the road. On the right down Deerwood Drive is Roses Unlimited (a
good source for old-fashioned roses). Cross Warrior Creek as it
rushes toward the Enoree River.
Cross the Enoree River into Spartanburg County. Spartanburg was
formed in 1785 from the Ninety Six District. It was named for the
Spartan Regiment, a SC militia unit from the Revolutionary War.
Turn right on New Hope Church Road to visit New Hope Baptist Church
Cemetery. Continue on Hwy 49. The origin of the name Cross Anchor
(together with its neighbor Cross Keys) is not known. According
to legend, a ship’s captain and his treasurer settled in the area
after the Revolution and built two houses – one with crossed anchors
carved in the chimney and the other with crossed keys. The house
at Cross Keys still stands, but the other burned down many years
ago. But truth gets in the way of a good story as the captain’s
dates don’t correspond to the construction dates of the houses.
Cross Anchor still has some beautiful homes from the late 19th century.
Turn right on Hwy 56. Turn right on Yarborough Chapel Rd. On the
right is Yarborough Chapel Methodist Church which was established
in 1843. The two story frame building is typical of meeting houses
built in the upcountry in the 19th century. Down the road to the
right is the old cemetery.
Turn left on New Hope Church Rd. Turn left on Horseshoe Falls Rd.
Immediately on the right is a neoclassical house with a monumental
Doric portico. This road is mountainous, with lots of hairpin turns.
On the left is an old farmhouse with many of its outbuildings standing.
There are several pullovers on the right and a larger parking area
to the left which access trails in Musgrove’s Mill State Park. These
trails lead to Horseshoe Falls and the ruins of the old bridge to
Musgrove’s Mill. As you cross the metal trestle bridge over Cedar
Shoals Creek, a wild azalea is visible on the left bank of the creek
below.
Turn right on Hwy 56. Cross into Union County. Union was formed
in 1785 from the division of Ninety Six District and is named for
the old Union Church, a multi-denominational church in the area.
Cross the Enoree River back into Laurens County. On the right is
a granite marker commemorating the site of the Battle of Musgrove’s
Mill. On August 18, 1780, Patriot forces lured Maj. Ferguson’s troops
into a fortified ravine. Though Patriot forces were outnumbered
nearly 2 to 1, the British retreated across the river.
Continue down Hwy 56 until it intersects with I-26. Take the interstate
east to Newberry County. Take your exit of choice and return to
historic downtown Newberry.
Spring
Has Sprung
March 2010
Click
HERE to hear
the podcast of this Road Trip
(aired 03/25/10)
It’s
spring! Enjoy it while it’s here, because winter isn’t gone yet
and summer is just around the corner. Today we’ll take a stroll
in historic downtown Newberry and catch a glimpse of the season
before it melts away. Start your stroll on the Square.
Imagine a busy market day on the Square circa 1900 – the sights,
the sounds, the smells and the mud. Before the paving of the streets
started in 1911, Main Street (then called Pratt) and the Square
were a muddy mess – especially after a wet winter. A satirical article
in the Herald in 1875 called for citizens to donate mud for the
creation of a canal which was proposed along what is now Main Street
form College Street to the “Mudlick Lock” at the Old Court House.
The Old Court House was completed in 1853 and is the fourth court
house to stand on the public Square. Designed by Columbia architect
Jacob Graves, it is a fine example of a Greek revival temple-front
building. Characteristics of this style include the massive fluted
Doric columns (which rise directly from the ground without decorative
bases) and an entablature (consisting of an architrave and a frieze
of equal proportions and decorative triglyphs and mutules).
Behind the Old Court House stands the Confederate monument. The
obelisk was originally dedicated in 1880 by the Confederate Survivors
Association. It was rededicated in 2001 after a restoration project
by the local Sons of Confederate Veterans chapter. With an historic
typo the monument charges us to “memorize” the lives of the men
whose names are inscribed here. This section of the Square forms
a raised terrace which is constructed of granite block which were
salvaged from the jail which once stood on the site. That jail was
demolished when a new jail was built on Harrington Street in 1853.
Several buildings around the Square (1101- 1117 Boyce Street and
1018-20 Main Street) have stepped parapets which mask the rooflines
from the storefront facades. This type of construction was typical
of the earliest brick buildings in the downtown. The elaborate pressed
tin cornices on the buildings in the 1100 block of Main Street serve
the same purpose – hiding the roof while ornamenting the facade.
The lower end of the Square (west of McKibben Street) is also known
as Memorial Park (after the World War I monument was placed there
in the 1920’s). Two more war memorials have been added in more recent
memory. Directly behind the WWI monument is a granite slab dedicated
in 2002 which marks the spot where soil from World War II battlefields
was buried in a commemorative ceremony. At the far end of the Square
is the World War II memorial which originally stood in front of
the old hospital on Hunt Street (that’s where the “memorial” comes
from in Newberry County Memorial Hospital). From the end of the
Square look up Nance Street beyond the Opera House. On top of the
next hill stands the Gauntt House, the oldest dwelling in town (circa
1808). Directly behind it is the Coppock House, the home of the
Newberry County Museum. (If you haven’t been to these historic sites
before, what are you waiting for?) Walk back up Main Street to Caldwell
Street and turn right. (Feel free to stop a moment and browse in
the shops along the way.)
At the southeast corner of Main and Caldwell Streets stands the
Old Newberry Hotel. This impressive Romanesque style building was
designed by G. L. Norman in 1880. Just a year later Norman designed
another impressive Newberry Landmark: the Opera House. The Caldwell
Street side of 1116 Main (Out on a Whim or the old McCrory’s store)
displays the three colors of Newberry-made bricks. The body of the
building is one color, while the cornice and decorative trim display
the other colors. Michelle’s (1104 Caldwell Street) has an unusual
façade. All the decorative elements are faced with pressed tin.
The two-story building at the corner of Friend and Caldwell Streets
was the first building constructed as a Post Office in town. Built
circa 1875, it has corbelled arches in its cornice. By the 1890’s,
a new Post Office was needed. That building stood across the street
where the parking lot is now.
Across the above-mentioned parking lot stands the Hal Kohn Library.
Completed in 2008, it is the newest large building in the old downtown.
On the east side of Caldwell Street is Central United Methodist
Church. Designed by a Tennessee architect named Hunt in 1900, much
of the interior decoration was the work of C. C. Davis. Another
Romanesque style building, Central Methodist is constructed of brick
and granite and has beautiful stained glass windows.
As the walk gets more residential in character, notice the welcome
addition of seasonal colors in flowering trees, shrubs and bulbs.
Most of the fruit trees (especially pears and plums) are in bloom
as well as Japanese Magnolia, forsythia and quince. The blue and
white Star of Bethlehem is making its annual appearance in lawns.
The house at 904 Caldwell Street was built circa 1910 and is covered
with pebble-dash stucco. The unusual roof is called a jerkin-head
gable (the point of the roof leans back, forming a triangular hip).
This roof form was popular in the eighteenth century and in colonial
revival homes in the early twentieth century.
On the southwest corner of Boundary Street is First Baptist Church.
Founded in 1831, it is the oldest congregation downtown. The present
Roman style temple-front building was constructed in 1907. At 800
Caldwell Street stands the Hutchinson House. Built circa 1900, it
is typical of turn of the century homes in Newberry. Next door is
the Z. F. Wright House. Wright served as mayor of Newberry as well
as director of the Commercial Bank and president of Newberry Cotton
Mills. His house is attributed to C. C. Davis. Across the street
stands the George Summer House. Built before 1918, the house was
designed by Newberry architect Ernest Summer. Across its façade
can be found all three of the principle classical orders: Doric
(on the south porch), Ionic (on the porte cochere) and Corinthian
(on the front porch). This street has several beautiful Queen Anne
style houses attributed to C. C. Davis. The Davis, Houseal, Cannon
and Boozer Houses were all built between 1888 and 1910. They feature
wraparound porches, bay windows and decorative elements typical
of the late nineteenth century.
From the intersection of Coate’s Street south to the south fork
of Scott’s Creek is Graveltown. Laid out in the late 1860’s, it
is Newberry’s oldest African-American neighborhood. Turn left on
Coate’s Street. On the left is the old Village Cemetery. Begun on
one acre of land in 1809, by 1846 it had grown to about five acres.
Though few markers remain (the originals were mostly wood) the cemetery
was filled by the time Rosemont Cemetery was established in 1863.
Across from the cemetery is Boundary Street School. The additions
and remodeling of 2005 preserve the original school bell which has
been on the site since 1890. At the corner of Boundary Street, look
to the right to see the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer. Founded
in 1853 as Luther Chapel, it is the oldest Lutheran congregation
in town. Turn left on Boundary Street.
All along Boundary Street are granite retaining walls. These were
built across the city in the 1930’s when many streets were leveled
for paving. To the left is the Caldwell-Wright House which was built
circa 1825. It originally stood at the south end of College Street,
but was moved out of the way when Z. F. Wright built his palatial
home there. Later it was turned to face the street as it does now.
Turn right on College Street and continue your stroll back to the
Square in historic downtown Newberry.
Hoping
for Spring
February 2010
Click
HERE to hear
the podcast of this Road Trip
(aired 02/25/10)
As
you drive around this month, look for the early signs of spring.
When these traditional plants are found growing in a field or in
the woods, it’s usually a good indication that an old house site
or cemetery is nearby. Many of the seasonal flowering bulbs are
members of the amaryllis family. What we call Jonquils, Narcissus,
Daffodils, Snowdrops and Butter & Eggs are forms of narcissus
which have naturalized to the area. Jonquils are sweet-smelling
yellow flowers with dark green reed-like stems and leaves. Daffodils
have a pronounced trumpet and Butter & Eggs are a double form.
These latter range in color from greenish white to orange-yellow.
Narcissus is a small sweet-smelling cluster of flowers born on a
single stem. They are usually white, cream or yellow. Other blooming
plants which make an appearance this time of year include: Quince
(a thorny shrub with red or white blooms); Forsythia (a shrub with
yellow trumpets on brown branches also called Yellow Bells); and
Spirea (a shrub with clusters of tiny white flowers whose double
form is called Bridal Wreath). The new growth on Maple trees is
adding a faint red tinge to the bare trees.
Begin your tour on the Square in historic downtown Newberry. Head
east along Main Street and turn left on College Street. At the intersection
of Wilson Road (Hwy 76 Bypass) turn left and then turn right on
Old Whitmire Hwy. (This is, of course, distinguished from Hwy 121
which is the “new” Whitmire Hwy.) In the woods to the left near
the end of Folk Road is Tea Table Rock, where the ladies of the
area delayed Tarleton and the British troops sufficiently to turn
the tide of the Revolutionary War. Turn left on Beth Eden Church
Road. Beth Eden Lutheran Church will be on your right. On down the
road to the left is the ante-bellum Renwick-Carlisle House. Farther
down the road on the right is the monument at Monument Road in memory
of the men who were killed when two B-25’s collided in 1943.
Turn left on Jalapa Road. After you cross I-26, turn right on Indian
Creek Road. (If the road to the left were still accessible, it would
lead to John’s Mountain (elevation 560 feet) and the site of Old
Tranquil Methodist Church.) Turn left on Riser Road. Turn right
on Hwy 76. Just beyond the lumber operation on the right is Oakdale,
the Gary House, built circa 1855. This was Gary’s Lane, a stop on
the Newberry and Laurens Railroad, which had branched from the Columbia
and Greenville Railroad at Helena in 1854. Kinards was named for
Captain John Martin Kinard and was established in 1854 as a railroad
depot. Turn left on Hwy 560. After crossing the railroad tracks,
turn left on Carlisle Oxner Road to get to Sharon Methodist Church.
Founded in 1854, the present church was built at the turn of the
twentieth century. Captain Kinard is buried in the cemetery behind
the church. Return to Hwy 560 and turn left.
This road runs along the boundary between Newberry and Laurens Counties.
Both counties were established in 1785 from a portion of the old
Ninety Six District. Cross Bush River. Turn left on Bush River Road.
Ahead on the left stands the old Smith Dairy. The farmhouse, with
its bay window and wraparound porch, is typical of the homes built
in Newberry in the last decade of the nineteenth century. Soon you
will pass by the site of the old Bush River School. Though the main
building burned in 1987, its stone pillars are still standing at
the road, flanking the drive. At the intersection of Floyd Road,
Bush River Road and Gary’s Lane stands Bush River Baptist Church.
Stop by the old cemetery which is just beyond the church on Bush
River Road. Return to the church itself. The newer section of the
cemetery is directly behind it. Bush River Baptist is considered
the mother church of many upcountry congregations. Founded in 1771,
it is one of two pre-revolutionary Baptist congregations still active
in the county. The present church is the result of a remodeling
in 1917. The rear wing is part of an early-nineteenth century meeting
house.
Turn left on Floyd Road. At the end of the road on the left is the
Washington Floyd House, built circa 1840. Turn left on Belfast Road.
Turn right on Belmont Church Road. At the end of the road, turn
left on Island Ford Road and take the first right on Silverstreet
Road. Watch for cattle and bright green fields. Turn right on Hwy
34. Turn left on Werts Road. As this road bends back towards Newberry,
it is not too far from the confluence of Little River and the Saluda
River. At the end of the road, turn right on Deadfall Road and stay
on it as you traverse the crossroads. Down the road you will find
the turn for New Chapel Methodist Church on the left. Founded near
the Saluda River in the early years of the nineteenth century, the
church was moved to its present site in the 1830’s. The present
building was begun in 1879. Just down the road on the right, the
old Cannon House, circa 1867, looms over the fields of Utopia. Tradition
has it that children at the local school gave the community this
name because they felt their home had all the features of Thomas
Moore’s fictional place. Near the end of the road, Hannah AME Church
stands to the right. Across the street at the edge of the cemetery
is Hannah School, one of the Rosenwald Schools built in Newberry
County.
Turn right on Hwy 395. Turn left on Counts Sausage Road. When you
cross Bush River this time it really looks like a river. Turn right
on St. Luke’s Church Road. This is a winding sort of mountainous-looking
stretch of road. Turn left on Stoney Hill Road. On the left is St.
Luke’s Lutheran Church. Founded in 1828, the present church was
built in 1955. The old part of the cemetery is behind the church.
When you cross Hwy 391, the road name changes to Mt. Pilgrim Church
Road. Cross Macedonia Church Road. On a bend in the road to the
right is Mt. Pilgrim Lutheran Church. The present church with its
field stone facing was built in 1934. Just before Hwy 76 intersects,
Oak Grove Presbyterian Church will be on the right. Directly across
the road from the church is the old Oak Grove School, another Rosenwald
School. Turn right on Hwy 76.
Turn left on Caldwell Drive. (That’s just after the big oak tree.)
Turn left on Kibler’s Bridge Road. There’s some really beautiful
countryside along here, with picturesque rolling hills, pastures
and forests. (The road makes a sharp turn at Berly Boland Road,
so make sure to stay on Kibler’s Bridge Road.) Ahead on the right
is a typical nineteenth century farmhouse. Turn right on Hwy 773.
After crossing I-26, St. Paul’s Lutheran Church will be on the right.
Founded in 1761, the present granite building was built in 1936.
(It’s the oldest Lutheran church in the county that has always been
in the county. St. John’s was in Lexington County for a time.)
Turn left on Jollystreet Road. At the intersection of Old Jollystreet
on the left is the old Jollystreet School. The first school on this
site was begun in 1845. Follow Jollystreet Road through beautiful
wooded countryside. Eventually it merges with Hwy 76. Turn right
and return to historic downtown Newberry.
There
and Back Again:
Circumnavigating Lake Greenwood
January 2010
Begin your tour on the Square in historic downtown Newberry. From
the Square, travel south on Nance Street and turn right on Boundary
Street. Leaving town, Boundary Street becomes Hwy 34. Cross the
north fork of Scott’s Creek. After Hwy 121 joins in, cross Bush
River. At the foot of Harold Bowers Road on the left is the Welch-Paysinger
House, a typical Newberry County farm house, built circa 1830. When
Hwy 34-121 splits, bear to the right to stay on Hwy 34. Visible
through the bare winter foliage is a stand of cabbage palms. When
Deadfall Road merges in, be sure to notice the old road trace to
the right with its high embankment and large trees. Welcome to Silverstreet,
which was founded in 1852 as a depot on the Columbia and Greenville
Railroad.
On the way out of town, Hwy 34 bends sharply to the left. On the
left near here was the site of Shady Grove Methodist Church. It
merged with Old Kadesh and Moon’s Meeting House in 1836 to form
nearby Trinity. Just beyond Bowles Road on the right, the ante bellum
Bowles House with its massive piers can be seen. Cross Little River.
Down the road on the left is Old Town Road. Saluda Old Town was
the site of a ferry on the Saluda River. Across the river was an
Indian village which hosted Royal Governor James Glenn for the 1755
Treaty of Old Town. This stretch of Hwy 34 is particularly straight.
Coming into Chappells, the old Main Street is visible to the left.
Thomas Chaple started a ferry over the Saluda River near here in
1756. The town began as a depot on the Columbia and Greenville Railroad.
Following a flood in 1928, the main road was moved about a third
of a mile upstream, bypassing the old downtown, which in turn succumbed
to a fire in 1940. Cross Hwy 39 and stay on Hwy 34.
On the right is Buzzards Roost, the site of the Lake Greenwood Dam.
The lake was formed in 1940 by damming the Saluda River to provide
hydro-electric power. The lake provides 212 miles of recreational
shoreline and covers 11,400 acres. Cross the Saluda River into Greenwood
County. Greenwood County was formed in 1897 from parts of Edgefield
and Abbeville Counties. The name came from the town of Greenwood
which had been established as a depot on the Columbia and Greenville
Railroad. The town’s name had come from a nearby plantation. On
the right is a public access point and ramp for Lake Greenwood.
At Dyson’s Crossroads (the four-way stop) turn right on Hwy 702.
Turn right into Lake Greenwood State Park. (There is a small fee
for entering the park and museum. If you’re not spending, turn around
at the gatehouse.) This park is on the site of an old CCC Camp.
Among the visible features of the camp are picnic shelters, a boathouse
and a series of terraces leading down to the lake. There is a CCC
museum in the park office. Leaving the park, bits of road trace
can be seen in the woods. This is most likely a part of the old
Island Ford Road which ran from Fishdam Ford on Broad River to the
Island Ford on the Saluda and on to Ninety Six. Cross Hwy 702 at
the exit on to Island Ford Road. On the right is Greenwood Shores
Baptist Church. Cross Wilson Creek. Turn right on Hwy 34. (According
to the map, this is Godsey.) Just beyond the turn for the brick
company are two old houses, one on the left and one on the right.
On the left is a one-story farm house with an open foundation of
brick piers (once a very common site in this area). On the right
is a two-story house with square piers and a wraparound porch.
Coming into Ninety Six on the left are rows of brick houses which
were originally part of the mill village. The mill was opened in
1902. The present town was formed as a depot on the Columbia and
Greenville Railroad in 1852. The origin of the town’s name is shrouded
in mystery since it doesn’t appear to be ninety-six miles from anywhere
(even when you consider that the town was originally four miles
away next to Star Fort). Current research indicates that the name
refers to a series of creeks which crossed the old Cherokee Trail.
Nine in the region flow east to the Saluda River, while six flow
south as though toward the Savannah River. When you crossed the
nine and the six, you were approaching the ridge between the river
valleys.
Bear right on Main Street. The brick storefronts are reminiscent
of those in Newberry. Watch for beautiful nineteenth century homes.
Turn right on Church Street and right again on Cateechee Street.
The name of this street comes from a legend about Ninety Six from
the time of the French and Indian War. Cateechee was the step-daughter
of the Cherokee chief at Keowee. She fell in love with a trader
from Ninety Six. When she heard that the Cherokee were planning
a raid on Long Cane and Ninety Six, she road to Star Fort to warn
her lover. Turn left on Cambridge Street. Cambridge is a point on
the map about ten miles south which was largely abandoned after
a smallpox epidemic and a fire. On the right is the Presbyterian
Church. Though the present building was begun circa 1860, the church
has its roots in 1774 in Cambridge. The churchyard exhibits the
“Newberry Effect” with a number of familiar names on gravestones.
Down the street on the left is St. Paul’s Methodist Church in a
large frame building. Turn right on Church Street Extended and right
on Faith Street to visit Elmwood Cemetery. This picturesque cemetery
has a lot of familiar-sounding names. Return to Cambridge Street
(Hwy 246) and turn right. Leaving town, cross Wilson Creek again
and watch for an old road trace to the right. Bear left at the intersection
to stay on Hwy 246.
On the right are two large industries, Ascend Performance Materials
and Fujifilm. Turn right on Hwy 72 at Coronaco. The name “Coronaco”
is thought to be either an Indian word or a corruption of “corn
acre,” after all “Saluda” means “river of corn.” Of course at this
point the river is still under Lake Greenwood. Welcome to Laurens
County. Like Newberry, Laurens was one of six counties formed from
the Ninety Six District in 1785. Turn right on Main Street (Hwy
39) to visit Cross Hill. According to tradition, the town received
its name from its location on an old Indian trading path which ran
from the fish dams on the Broad River to a similar feature on the
Saluda River. (This eventually shifted around to become Island Ford
Road.) Someone crossed the path at the hill to get Cross Hill. Watch
for beautiful nineteenth century homes. Turn right on Liberty Springs
Road. At the end of the road is Liberty Springs Presbyterian Church,
which was founded in 1787. Surrounding the church is an old cemetery
with many familiar Newberry names. In the woods behind the church
are the springs for which the church is named. Turn around. When
you get to Main Street, the old Cross Hill School, built circa 1928,
is visible straight ahead. Turn right on Main Street. At the triangle
formed by intersecting streets is a granite obelisk, the Confederate
Monument. From Main Street, bear left on Hwy 560.
Several of the creeks beyond Cross Hill join with Mudlick Creek.
Cross Little River. Turn right on Hwy 56. Ahead on the right is
Belfast House which was built in the early nineteenth century. The
house was built by Col. John Simpson who was a native of Belfast,
Ireland. Belfast is now part of a DNR Wildlife Management Area containing
4,600 acres in Laurens and Newberry Counties. Welcome home to Newberry
County. On the right is Little River-Dominick Presbyterian Church.
Little River Church was founded in 1764 and was the oldest Presbyterian
church in the county (until it moved into Laurens County in the
late nineteenth century). Dominick Church was founded in 1913. The
two congregations merged in 1938 and built the present sanctuary.
Turn left on Belfast Road. Follow it as it turns into O’Neal Street
and return to historic downtown Newberry.
Visiting
Some Downtown Churches
December 2009
Among the natural associations with the Christmas season are churches,
of which we have many denominations in downtown Newberry. Today
we’ll drive around town looking at some of the churches in and around
the city. Along the way we’ll pass beautiful old homes all decked
out for the holiday season. We might even encounter a little history
here and there. Begin your tour on the Square in historic downtown
Newberry.
Since there were no churches downtown until First Baptist was established
in 1831, the county Court House was one of the places where travelling
ministers would preach to the citizens gathered. Many of the area
congregations had their start with a meeting in the old Court House
or one of the three buildings which stood here before this one was
built in 1851.
From the Square, head east on Main Street. Turn left on College
Street. Across Scott’s Creek on the left is Bethlehem Baptist Church,
one of the oldest African-American congregations in town. It was
established in 1868. The first church building occupied the narrow
lot on the opposite bank of Scott’s Creek. The present church was
built circa 1901 and features two towers, one obelisk-shaped and
the other pyramid-shaped. Turn right on Calhoun Street. Turn left
on Lindsay Street. On the left at the far corner of Cheek Street
is the site of St. Monica’s. In 1894, St. Luke’s Episcopal Church
established a mission called St. Luke the Physician which operated
a school for African-American children on Lindsay Street beginning
in 1899. Later the church changed its name to St. Monica and relocated
to South Street. (St. Monica was the mother of St. Augustine and
is more familiarly known as Santa Monica.) The congregation merged
with St. Luke’s in the 1970’s.
We are now surrounded by the college campus. Turn right on Evans
Street. Founded in 1856, Newberry College is a Lutheran-supported
liberal arts school. It is the ninth oldest college in South Carolina.
Originally the school housed the Lutheran Seminary as well. Turn
left on Luther Street. Turn left on Cemetery Street. Turn right
on College Street. Across Nosegay Park, True Light Ministries can
be seen in the old Red& White building. On the right is Rosemont.
Rosemont Cemetery was established in 1863 to relieve the overcrowded
conditions of the older Village Cemetery. It has been expanded several
times. The south entrance lines up closely with Calmes Street, which
appears in old maps as the southern boundary of the cemetery. The
back street which runs along the crest of the hill marks the old
eastern boundary. The northern boundary was just beyond the old
north entry where the other set of granite piers is standing. The
monolithic granite piers which mark the older entrances were an
early project of the Newberry Civic League and commemorate founders
of both Rosemont and the Civic League. On the left-hand side of
College Street, next to Baxter Cemetery is the Church of God. This
congregation was founded in the early 1940’s.
Turn left on First Street. Ahead is the old Oakland Mill village.
Like the other mills in Newberry, Oakland had a full complement
of churches. Turn right on Fair Avenue. Turn left on Third Street.
A Baptist congregation was organized for the mill village in 1913.
A new church building was begun at 1406 Third Street in 1937 and
given the name Hunt Memorial Baptist Church in honor of Walter Herbert
Hunt, first president of the mill. Down the street on the right
is Bethany Lutheran Church. In 1935, Gilbert Goodman, a student
at the Lutheran Seminary, began holding services in the schoolhouse
at Oakland. In 1936 the congregation was formed for Bethany. A lot
at the corner of Third and Nance Streets (1200 Third Street) was
given by the mill. The church is covered with flint rocks which
were given by each Lutheran church in Newberry County. Turn left
on Nance Street. On the left is Lewis Memorial Methodist Church.
A Methodist church was organized in 1912 for the mill village. Originally
called Oakland Methodist Church, the name was changed to Lewis Memorial
in honor of W. H. Lewis, the first pastor. The present church at
1105 First Street was built on the site of Oakland School.
Turn right on Pope Street. On the right is Glory Tabernacle Pentecostal
Holiness Church. Founded prior to World War I, the congregation
has been on this site since the 1920’s. Down the street on the right
is Pioneer Baptist Church in a white frame building. At the intersection
of Hwy 121, turn left on Gray Street. On the right at the corner
of Vincent Street is Mt. Zion Baptist Church. Founded in 1896, the
present church was built in 1968. Turn left on Vincent Street. Turn
right on Kendall Road.
Turn left on O’Neal Street. This side of town is known as West End
and was the mill village for Newberry Cotton Mills. On the left
is O’Neal Street Methodist Church. This Methodist congregation is
an outgrowth of a tent revival held in Leavell’s Grove in 1891.
(Leavell’s Grove was a park-like setting off to the right of O’Neal
Street. Oak Grove on Jessica Avenue belonged to the Leavell family
in the late nineteenth century.) Originally called Second Methodist,
the name was changed to O’Neal Street Methodist because of their
location. Turn left on Langford Street. Turn right on Main Street.
The first church in the mill village was Second Baptist Church which
organized in 1887 by members of First Baptist and Bush River Baptist
Churches. The first building for the congregation was erected in
1899. At that time the name was changed to West End Baptist Church.
The present building at 617 Main Street is the third to serve this
church and was built in 1954. Turn left on Academy Street. Turn
right on Crosson Street. Turn right on Drayton Street. On the right
is Mayer Memorial Church. A Lutheran congregation was formed in
1899 at 1307 Drayton Street. It was named Mayer Memorial, because
the church building was given by Dr. O. B. Mayer, Jr., in memory
of his father. Newberry Cotton Mills was the first mill in South
Carolina to have a Lutheran Church.
Turn left on Boundary Street. On the right is Saint Marks Catholic
Church. It was organized in 1956. St. Mark’s stands on one end of
the site of Halcyon Grove. This park-like area was on the southern
side of the old village and was used by early congregations for
tent revivals and brush arbors. Turn left on Nance Street. Turn
right on Johnstone Street. Ahead on the left is Central United Methodist
Church. Founded in 1833, the present Romanesque style building was
built in 1900. Turn right on Higgins Street. Turn right on Boundary
Street. On the right is the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer. Founded
as Luther Chapel in 1853, the present church building was begun
in 1964. The original church bell from 1853 is in a tower next to
the Family Life Center. Turn left on Caldwell Street. On the right
is First Baptist Church. The oldest congregation in downtown Newberry,
First Baptist was organized in 1831. The present church, the second
on the site was built circa 1908.
At 500 Caldwell Street in the old Gravel Town community stands Miller
Chapel AME Church. Founded in 1869, it is one of the oldest AME
churches in the county. Caldwell Street leads into the Mollohon
Mill village. Turn left on Milligan Street. On the left is Epting
Memorial Methodist Church. The roots of this congregation go back
to 1903 when a chapel was formed in the old Mollohon Schoolhouse.
The Methodist congregation continued to meet with the Baptists until
the Milligan Street church was built in 1926. The church was named
for James F. Epting who organized the Sunday School program but
died before the church was complete. Down the street to the left
is Summer Memorial Lutheran Church. In 1911 a Lutheran Church was
established for the mill village. The original church was built
by the Summer brothers as a memorial to their parents, George W.
and Martha D. Summer. The present church building was constructed
in 1952. At the end of Milligan Street is the site of East Side
Chapel. In 1907, the old (circa 1831) church building for First
Baptist Church in Newberry was moved to the corner of Lee and Glenn
streets for the use of the Baptist congregation in the mill village.
It was replaced by the present brick building which houses Glenn
Street Baptist Church.
Turn left on Glenn Street. Turn right on Main Street. Turn left
on Winnsboro Hwy (Hwy 34). On the left is the original site of Aveleigh
Presbyterian Church. Turn left on Wilson Road. On the left is Faith
Lutheran Church. One of the newest Lutheran Churches in the county,
this congregation was established in 1961 in the Harrington Heights
neighborhood. Turn left on Harrington Street. Turn left on Calhoun
Street. On the right is Aveleigh Presbyterian Church. Founded in
1835, the congregation moved to this site in 1852. The present church,
though remodeled several times, was built after the older church
burned in the Fire of 1907. On the left, at the corner of Main Street
is Newberry ARP Church. Founded in 1854 as Thompson Street Church
(where Lindsay Street is now), the congregation moved to this site
when the old church was lost in the Fire of 1907. Turn right on
Main Street. On the right is St. Luke’s Episcopal Church. Organized
in 1846, the circa 1855 Gothic building was demolished in the Tornado
of 1984. The present church is built in the same style on the same
site.
Continue along Main Street and return to historic downtown Newberry
(although we never really left it).
Some
Country Roads That Aren’t Far Away
November 2009
It’s Thanksgiving in Newberry and that mean’s cooler weather, fewer
leaves, leftover turkey sandwiches and a road trip! Start your Thanksgiving
road trip on the Square in historic downtown Newberry. Since Thanksgiving
is the official start of the mercantile Christmas, take a moment
to wander about the Square to see the tree and the wonderland of
decorations. (Or you could wait until you get back and experience
the Square in the dark!)
From the Square, head south on Caldwell Street. On the left is Central
United Methodist Church. Founded in 1833, the present Romanesque
style building was built in 1900. Turn right on Boundary Street.
On the left is First Baptist Church. The oldest congregation in
downtown Newberry, First Baptist was organized in 1831. The present
church, the second on the site was built circa 1908. Just beyond
the Baptist church on the left was the original site of Luther Chapel,
which became Redeemer when it moved to its present site in 1897.
These last two churches bordered a park-like area called Halcyon
Grove which was on the southern edge of the old village. After you
cross Nance Street, Saint Marks Catholic Church is on the left.
It was organized in 1956. Stay on Boundary Street. Turn left on
Dennis Dairy Road. Down the road on the right (at the historical
marker) is the Quaker Cemetery. The Quakers (a sect of Puritans
with obvious ties to Thanksgiving) began settling in Newberry in
the 1760’s. Most moved west in the first decade of the nineteenth
century, but services were held here until 1822. Turn right on St.
Mary’s Church Road. (We’ve barely been travelling ten minutes and
we’re already at the first of two successive old dirt roads to investigate.)
Turn right on Longshore Road. St. Mary’s AME Church is on the left.
This is a cedar-lined road running through farm fields. Turn left
on Old 96 Road. This is a vestige of the old road that led to Higgin’s
Ferry before the highway was straightened. Turn left on Hwy 34-121.
Turn right on Harold Bowers Road. After a few initial bends, this
is a long straight stretch of road leading to the railroad. Turn
right on Belfast Road. As you cross Bush River, look to the right
to see an old metal trestle bridge. Turn left on Brown Chapel Road.
Turn left on Thunder Road. This is another old dirt road, just minutes
from downtown. Driving across fields, through wooded areas and beside
creeks, it’s amazing the wildlife that can be seen. (When I took
the trip, I found lots of wandering Jersey cows and a blue heron.)
At the end of the road, turn right on Bush River Road. As you approach
Helena, traces of the old railroad tracks can be seen off to the
right. The railroad leading from Newberry to Laurens was built in
1854 and split from the South Carolina Railroad at Helena. When
Oakland Mill was opened in 1911, the railroad was rerouted to split
at Newberry behind the present Newberry Elementary School (the old
High School) so that it could go by the cotton mill. Turn left on
Hwy 121 (Kendall Road).
On the right, just beyond Nance Street, is Marion Davis Park with
the horseshoe pitching lanes. (Long-time Newberrians might remember
that a park of that name was once located near the Post Office.)
A leader in road improvements, Davis was superintendant of Newberry
Cotton Mills and mayor of Newberry. Turn left on Fair Avenue. At
the top of the hill on the left is Oakland Mill, the only cotton
mill still standing in Newberry. Begun in 1910, it was purchased
by Kendall Mills in 1925. Kendall Mills closed in 1985 but continued
operations as American Fiber & Finishing until 2008. Turn left
on North Street, once the northern boundary of the city limits.
Cross College Street into Rosemont Cemetery. Although the cemetery
was founded in 1863, the Calmes family cemetery (the brick enclosure
at the top of the hill) is much older. Thanksgiving is a good time
to visit the cemetery and remember our founding fathers (and mothers).
Leave the cemetery by turning right on College Street. Turn left
on Hwy 76. Turn right on Sweet Springs Road. Here’s another country
road not far from downtown. Across from the end of the road, a nineteenth
century farmhouse peers out through the woods. Turn left on Old
Whitmire Hwy. Near the end of Folk Road on the left is the entrance
to the path leading to Tea Table Rock where the ladies of Newberry
waylaid Tarleton’s troops on the way to Cowpens, thus winning the
Revolutionary War.
Turn left on Beth Eden Church Road. On the right is Beth Eden Lutheran
Church, established in 1843. On a bend in the road to the left is
the ante-bellum Renwick-Carlisle House. Turn right on Monument Road.
On the left is the monument (for which the road is named) commemorating
the crash of two B-25s in 1943. The crash site is down the road
a way off to the left. Off the road to the right is the cemetery
for Gilder’s Creek Presbyterian Church. Founded circa 1820 on a
tributary of Indian Creek, the church had disbanded by the 1850’s.
The subtle colors of late fall are like spring in reverse. With
the underbrush beginning to die back for the winter, the old road
trace (the steep-sided ditches that passed for roads in the early
years of the county) can be seen running close by the present road.
The road crosses Indian Creek with two wooden bridges. (The road
washed out a bit in recent rains, but it is a relief to see water
in the creek again.) At the end of the road, turn right on Old Newberry
Hwy. Turn right on Hwy 121. The Annals of Newberry records a Revolutionary
War incident involving Micajah Harriss and his brother-in-law James
Sheppard which occurred near Indian Creek (which we’re about to
cross) and King’s Creek nearby. The two were captured by Tories
and sentenced to death, but the officer in charge kept passing the
duty of killing off until no one was left to do the deed. Sheppard
offered himself if Harriss could go free for the sake of his wife
and children, but Harriss refused his brother-in-law, vowing to
die together. Struck by their loyalty, the two were “paroled” and
their horses taken instead.
Turn left on Hwy 176. At the intersection of Old Whitmire Hwy, an
old farmhouse can be seen on the right. Cross King’s Creek. Turn
left on Molly’s Rock Road. Off the road to the left is Molly’s Rock
Park. After the park, the pavement gives way to another favorite
road trip road. This old road was part of the stage coach route
between Charleston and Buncombe County, North Carolina. The trace
can be seen through the woods on either side of the old road. Turn
left on Hwy 176. Just beyond Mt. Bethel-Garmany Road on the right
is the Caldwell House which was built in the 1850’s. Further down
the road is Enoree Baptist Church. Founded in 1768, it is one of
the two oldest Baptist congregations in the county. Next to the
newer brick sanctuary is an older one which was built in 1859. Turn
right on St. Philip’s Church Road. There are more beautiful farmlands
through here. An old farmhouse can be seen to the right. Near the
end of the road, on the right is the old St. Philips School. Turn
right on Hwy 219. Off the road to the left is Clayton Memorial Unitarian
Church. Follow the road as it becomes Main Street and return to
historic downtown Newberry.
Spooky
Trails to You
October 2009
There’s a chill in the air and the days are growing shorter. Yards
are springing up with scary decorations and pumpkins. Trees are
beginning to show signs of color other than green. It’s that time
of year again – time for a spooky road trip.
Begin your tour on the Square in historic downtown Newberry. While
on the Square, you might want to check out a show at the Opera House,
but you may get more than you’re paying for. At least two ghosts
have been spotted there in the past few years. Whether they’re from
a travelling show from the long history of the Opera House or new
arrivals since the renovations, no one yet knows who they are. Head
west on Main Street and turn right on Drayton Street. After passing
Willowbrook Park, turn left on Crosson Street. Behind the Newberry
Middle School on the right is the West End Cemetery. This is the
setting for the “Bride of West End.” Again, no one today knows who
she was or for whom she’s waiting. She can be seen in the evening
wandering about the cemetery in a flowing white dress, waiting for
the lover that left her waiting at the altar.
Turn right on Belfast Road. Cross Bush River. Turn left on Spearman
Road. On a bend in the road to the left is the Reagin Family Cemetery.
Cross Beaverdam Creek. At the end of the road, bear right on Hwy
34. Turn left on Werts Road. Just beyond the point where the road
crosses Turners Creek, a section of the old Greenville Railroad
crosses. Be careful at this intersection, for it was the site of
a collision between a School Bus and a train. The accident occurred
on December 18, 1946, and resulted in the death of the bus driver
and eleven children. A monument to the crash lends a solemn feel
to the place on even a sunny day, but more recently strange phenomena
have been reported here. Across from the end of Werts Road is a
large oak tree. This is a seedling of a large oak that was called
a hanging tree. Legend has it that it is haunted by the bartender
of the old tavern at the crossroads who hung himself in the early
nineteenth century. Turn right on Deadfall Road.
Down the road on the left is New Chapel Methodist Church. Founded
in the first decade of the nineteenth century, the church has been
on this site since 1830. There is a nice cemetery behind the church.
Turn right on George’s Loop. On the left is the Cannon House which
was built in 1869. There’s nothing spookier than having a real tombstone
in the front yard. Hang a sharp left to stay on George’s Loop. Turn
right on Deadfall Road. Cross Beaverdam Creek. Turn left on Hwy
395.
The point where Hwy 395 crosses Bush River is near the site of Bobo’s
Mill which is the setting for an old ghost story: the Phantom Rider
of Bush River. First published in 1860, it is one of the oldest
written ghost stories in South Carolina. Set during the Revolutionary
War, it recounts the tale of Charity, a Quaker girl, and her lover,
who was a patriot soldier. The soldier vowed to return from the
war in one year, dead or alive. On the appointed day he failed to
make it back, but that night the sound of his horse could be heard
racing up and down the old road. No tracks were found. The sound
of horses hooves tell of his attempt to find his love after death.
Turn right on Cannon Swamp Road.
Turn left on Schumpert Mill Road. Turn right on Clara Brown Road.
Cross Kinards Creek. Turn left on St. Luke’s Church Road. Around
a bend in the road on the left is the old Dunker Cemetery. The old
cemetery is a favorite of road trips. (The mailbox contains information
on the cemetery, but it still looks spooky.) Turn right on Fire
Tower Road and then left on Clara Brown Road. Cross Timothy Creek.
Coming into Prosperity, the Moseley House, circa 1880, is on the
left. Spanish moss on trees in the yard gives it a haunting feel.
Turn right on Main Street. Turn right on Broad Street and then left
on McNeary Street. At the edge of town on the left is the Prosperity
Cemetery. The oldest section of the cemetery was the graveyard from
Prosperity ARP Church. In the late nineteenth century, a mysterious
glow was seen over the trees at the edge of the cemetery. It was
never satisfactorily explained. Turn left on Rikard School Road.
Turn right on Macedonia Church Road. Cross Susannah Branch.
Turn left on Mt. Pilgrim Church Road. On the right is Mt. Pilgrim
Lutheran Church and its cemetery. Founded in 1880, the present church
which is faced with field stones was constructed in 1934. Beyond
the church is a view of Little Mountain looming over the landscape.
At the bottom of a steep hill, cross Camping Creek. Turn right on
Pa Metts Road. Turn left on Old Dutch Road. Around a bend in the
road on the right is a small family cemetery. Turn right on Hwy
76 and then left on Dr. Bowers Road. Turn right on Mt. Tabor Road.
On the right are Mt. Tabor Lutheran Church and its cemetery. The
church was organized in 1880. Turn left on Main Street. Though the
Town of Little Mountain was incorporated in 1890, it is the setting
of a much older tale. The Weber Heresy took place in 1760 and involved
a land grant scam, sacrilege and murder. Jacob Weber convinced the
locals that he was God and that his wife and son were the Virgin
Mary and Jesus. After the murder of John Smithpeter, one of his
conspirators, Weber was tried and hanged in Charleston. Turn left
on Pomaria Street. At the end of the road, turn left on Hwy 176.
Cross Crim’s Creek into downtown Pomaria. Turn right on Holloway
Street. Turn right on Hwy 176 and left on St. Paul Road. In the
nineteenth century, near St. Paul’s, a woman was accused of witchcraft.
After a train had run over her cow, she spread fat on the tracks
so that the train would skid and stop on the spot. She gave the
crew a “blessing out.” Turn right on Jolly Street Road. At the intersection
of Old Jolly Street Road, the old schoolhouse is on the right. On
the left, before the intersection of St. Philip Road, is the Kinard
Family Cemetery. Near here, an old Kinard House, according to legend,
was haunted. Even after nailing the doors and windows shut, they
would nightly open and close. Turn right on St. Philip Road. Cross
Cannon’s Creek. Turn left on Halfacre Road. On the right at the
corner of Clayton Church Road is the Gallman House, circa 1860.
Near the end of the road on the left is the DeWalt-Gray-Gallman
Cemetery. The sound of horse’s hooves can be heard hear sometimes
at night. (There are other such traditions around the county. Could
they all be part of the Phantom Rider tale, or do we have several
ghostly riders in Newberry?)
Turn right on Oxner Road. Turn left on Hwy 34. Turn right on General
Henderson Road. On the left is the National Guard Armory. At the
end of the road, turn right on Mt. Bethel-Garmany Road. Turn left
on Kings Creek Road. (An old Honey Locust tree sets the stage for
some Persimmon beer.) Cross the south fork of King’s Creek before
reaching the highway. Cross Hwy 121 and Little King’s Creek. Across
a field to the right near the end of the road stands the George
W. Glenn House. It is said to be haunted. Mysterious blood stains
have been reported on the floorboards.
Turn left on Old Whitmire Hwy. Turn left on Hwy 76 and right on
College Street. On the left is Rosemont Cemetery. The Annals of
Newberry records that ethereal music has been heard in the cemetery.
Listen for it as you return to historic downtown Newberry.
Old
Newberry Had a Farm, EIEIO
September 2009
Farming has been a part of Newberry since before it was “Newberry.”
As the colonial inhabitants pushed westward into Indian lands, they
began establishing farms in this area in the 1740’s. By the end
of the eighteenth century Newberry was covered with small farms
growing corn, wheat and tobacco. When Col. Robert Rutherford introduced
the Whitney cotton gin to the area in 1796, it wasn’t long before
short staple cotton became the principle crop in Newberry. By the
end of the nineteenth century progressive farmers began to diversify
and raise other crops. Cotton eventually took its toll on the land
and other crops were raised out of necessity. Today Newberry has
a very diverse agricultural base and this trip will help celebrate
it.
Begin your tour on the Square in historic downtown Newberry. Head
south on Caldwell Street. Crossing the south fork of Scott’s Creek,
will bring you to the site of Innesfallen Dairy. The dairy, considered
a model farm for the day with a herd consisted of about 40 Jersey
cows, was operated by A. J. McCaughrin until 1909 when the property
was sold to Mollohon Manufacturing Company. Turn left on Nance Street
and stay on it as it becomes Hwy 395. On the right at the intersection
of Hawkins Road is the site of another early dairy farm, the Sanitary
Dairy. Owned by George W. Summer and first operated by Jesse Frank
Hawkins, this dairy was one of four which served the city of Newberry
in the years following World War I. Hawkins later operated his own
dairy, served in the House and Senate of South Carolina and was
named to Clemson’s Agricultural Hall of Fame.
Turn right on Mendenhall Road. On the right is Carter & Holmes
Orchids. Across the road is a herd of Charolais, a breed of beef
cattle originating in France and first introduced to America in
1936. Turn left on Dennis Dairy Road. Ahead on the right is the
Quaker Cemetery. The Quakers were known for their industry and the
productivity of their small farms. Cross Bush River and turn right
on Quaker Road. Turn left on Hwy 121.
Turn right on Harold Bowers Road. The site of the Spearman Farm,
where the first registered Guernsey herd in South Carolina was established
in 1880, was over the hill to the left. Off the road to the right
is Neel’s Chicken Farm. Turn left on Stoney Battery Road. Ahead
on the left is a field of corn which looks a little worse for wear
in this year’s dry summer. Much of the corn in fields now is destined
for silage. Cross the railroad tracks. Newberry’s position on the
railroad allowed for the successful transport of nineteenth century
products to market. A windmill stands at a farm off to the left.
After Field View Road on the right is an old house site with the
chimneys still standing. Turn left on Green Tree Road. Ahead is
a field of soybeans. Soybeans were introduced to the county in the
1960’s. In a field to the right are rolled bales of hay. This will
be a common site on this trip. Cross a marshy section of Welch Creek
with lots of cattails. Down the road to the left is a herd of beef
cattle. Turn left on Trinity Church Road. As you pass through the
Waldrop’s dairy farm, notice the silos. A large number of silos
is usually a good indication of a dairy farm – the cows need to
eat a lot to produce that milk. On the left is Trinity Methodist
Church along with its cemetery. Trinity Church was established in
1835 by the merger of two older congregations, Kadesh and Shady
Grove. Turn right on Silverstreet Road. On either side are fields
and pastures – mown, plowed and growing.
Turn left on Island Ford Road. On the right is a herd of Holsteins
(the black and white spotted dairy cows). Turn right on Belmont
Church Road. On the left is Belmont Baptist Church, an early African-American
congregation. The old church bell is mounted on their sign, and
there is an extensive cemetery around the church. At the edge of
the fields are Honey Locusts. Their maturing pods remind me that
persimmon beer season is coming up. Turn left on Belfast Road. On
the right is the Floyd-Baker House, built circa 1845. This was the
home of Washington Floyd. In 1860, he was the largest slaveholder
in the county with 200 slaves. Turn right on Floyd Road. Running
parallel to the road are two branches of Sandy Run Creek. Be sure
to “moo” at the cows. (It’s okay to “moo” at beef cattle. After
all, you need the beef roast if you’re going to make Liver Nips.)
On the right is Heydt’s Turkey Farm. Raising turkeys was introduced
to Newberry County in 1939 by Waldo Huffman. Today, turkeys are
involved in the county’s largest employer, Louis Rich. On the left
are some goats. Raising goats has become more popular in recent
years.
Turn right on Bush River Road. On the right is Bush River Baptist
Church. Called the mother church of Baptists in the area, Bush River
was established by 1771. The older part of the cemetery is ahead
on the right. Down the road on the right is Bishop’s Farm with turkeys
and soybeans. Further down the road is Braswell Farm with its massive
farmhouse built in the 1850’s. There is a nice crop of collards
across the road. Also on Bush River Road is Bush River Jerseys,
home of the Vend-a-Moo. Turn left on Paul Long Road. Turn left on
Herman Wise Road. All along the ditches and field edges, keep an
eye out for the gold of Bitterweed and Goldenrod and the white of
Rabbit Tobacco, all of which are in bloom now. Turn left on Hwy
76.
As you cross the railroad bridge, look to the left to see the old
Ballentine Dairy Farm, the original home of the farm museum. At
Jalapa, the Clary House, circa 1850, will be on the left. Bear right
on Jalapa Road. Ahead are fields of cotton, once again a contributor
to the agricultural economy. On the right is St. James Lutheran
Church. Founded as Liberty Hill in 1840, it has been on this site
as St. James since 1889. After the cotton fields, pine trees appear
on either side of the road. Controlled reforestation in the twentieth
century has produced an important timber industry in the county.
About one-seventh of the county’s acreage falls in the Sumter National
Forest. After crossing I-26, Count’s Turkey Farm is on the right.
Turn right on Beth Eden Road. After Mt. Zion Church Road there is
a cluster of Persimmon trees, their fruit beginning to turn a pale
shade of orange. On the left is the monument commemorating the crash
of two B-25’s in 1943. Cross Gilder’s Creek. On a bend in the road
to the right is the ante bellum Renwick-Carlisle House. Down the
road on the left is Beth Eden Lutheran Church which was founded
in 1843. Turn right on Old Whitmire Hwy.
Turn left on Hwy 76 and remain on Wilson Road. Turn right on Bay
Street. Off to the right, an old pond is visible. On its banks (now
at Springfield Place) Samuel Crotwell operated a cheese factory
beginning in 1897. Turn right on Myrtle Street (Dave Drive). Turn
left on Harrington Street. Turn left on Glenn Street. Bear left
on Adelaide Street. On the left are the Newberry County Fairgrounds.
Originally part of the Johnstone lands (of which Lynches Woods is
also a part), the fair buildings were constructed here in 1935 as
part of a WPA project. Today, one wing of the front building is
home to the Ballentine Farm Museum.
Back
To School II
August 2009
As students and teachers begin their new school year, it’s time
to take a look at some of the county’s school buildings old and
new. Today, all of Newberry is covered by one school district. When
the Public School system was begun in the late nineteenth century,
each community sponsored its own school. In 1900, there were 57
school districts in the county and all but one had both a black
and a white school. As the twentieth century progressed, smaller
schools consolidated, so that by 1951 the county was down to seven
districts and seven high schools. Now, our one district has 15 schools,
including adult education.
Begin your tour on the Square in historic downtown Newberry. Travel
east on Main Street. Turn right on College Street. On the right
at the corner of Johnstone Street is a stucco covered brick building
which originally housed the Newberry Female Academy. The school
in Newberry was divided into a boy’s school and a girl’s school.
This building housed the girl’s school from the 1850’s through the
1880’s. When the public school was established, the Female Academy
building served as the first public school while Boundary Street
School was under construction. Turn right on Boundary Street. Just
over the bridge on the left is the imposing red brick house built
by Dr. Pressley Ruff in 1856. The house is built on the site of
the original Male Academy. Turn right on Jessica Avenue. On the
left is Oak Grove with its neoclassical Doric portico. Rev. J. Taylor
Zealy operated the Newberry Female College here from 1867-8. Turn
left on O’Neall Street. Just beyond Scott’s Creek is Newberry Middle
School. Cross Kendall Road onto Belfast Road. Turn left on Spearman
Road. Down the road on the right is Reuben Elementary School. This
school was named for Dr. Odell Richardson Reuben (1918-70), a native
of Silverstreet who served as President of Morris College in Sumter
from 1948-1970. At the end of the road, turn left on Main Street
(Hwy 34).
Turn left on School Street. As the name implies, this street leads
to the site of Silverstreet School. Though much of the site is in
disrepair, the 1926 auditorium on the right is still in use. In
1924, the schools at Deadfall, Utopia, Burton, Mt. Zion, Trinity,
Silverstreet, Reagin and Ridge Spring consolidated to form this
school. Turn right on Lake Street. Turn left on Church Street. On
the right is Silverstreet Lutheran Church. Though the congregation
has its roots in the Deadfall Mission of 1874, this church was established
in 1908. Turn right on Woodland Way. As the road bends sharply to
the right there is a small house with pink siding which was built
out of the old Deadfall Schoolhouse. Turn right on Hwy 34 and then
take a sharp left on Deadfall Road. Down the road on the left is
New Chapel Methodist Church, founded in the first decade of the
19th century. New Chapel marks the beginning of Utopia community.
It was named by the students at the local school who felt their
home resembled Thomas Moore’s fictional land. In the woods across
Beaver Dam Creek was the site of Utopia School. Across from Hannah
AME Church is Hannah School, a Rosenwald school from the 1930’s.
In the 1960’s it, too, was consolidated into Silverstreet. Turn
right on Hwy 395. Turn left on Stoney Hill Road.
Down the road a few miles on the right is Stoney Hill School. This
school was established in 1924 when two older schools in the area,
St. Luke’s (circa 1872) and Big Creek (circa 1890) joined forces.
Classes were last held here in 1958. On the left at the intersection
of St. Luke’s Church Road is St. Luke’s Lutheran Church, established
in 1828. Stay on Stoney Hill Road. Turn left on Hwy 391 (Mc Neary
Street in Prosperity). On the right at Rikard School Road is the
Prosperity Cemetery (even on a back to school trip I can’t resist
a good cemetery). Jog to the right as the road bends and turn left
on Main Street. Turn left on School Drive. On the right is the old
Prosperity School which now serves as Town Hall. Prosperity can
lay claim to being the oldest public school in the county with an
ancestry dating back to Crosson Field School of 1868. The present
building dates back to 1927, when area schools began to consolidate.
Turn left on Brown Street and then right on Main Street. Turn left
on Grace Street. On the right, the addition to Grace Lutheran Church
(organized 150 years ago in August 1859) is coming along well. Turn
right on Hwy 76. On the left is Prosperity-Rikard Elementary School.
On the right at the corner of Cy Schumpert Road is the new Mid-Carolina
High School, with the Middle School across the street. Mid-Carolina
Schools was the result of the consolidation of Prosperity, Little
Mountain, Pomaria, Peak, Stoney Hill and O’Neal Schools. Continue
on Hwy 76 toward Little Mountain. As you pass Mt. Pilgrim Church
Road, Oak Grove Presbyterian Church is visible to the right across
a field. There is another Rosenwald School in front of it. Turn
left on Mt. Tabor Church Road. On the right is Mt. Tabor Lutheran
Church. The congregation started an academy in 1885 that eventually
became Little Mountain School. Turn left on Main Street. Turn right
on Mill Street. Ahead is Little Mountain Elementary School which
is currently being renovated and added on to. The school has been
on this site since 1908. The auditorium and some of the classrooms
were built in 1929. Turn around. Turn right on Main Street. Turn
left on Pomaria Street. On the right is Holy Trinity Lutheran Church
(founded in 1891) with its new addition.
Pomaria Street becomes Hwy 202. At the end of the road, turn right
on Hwy 176. Down the road on the left is Pomaria Plantation which
was built circa 1826. (My first grade teacher, Mrs. Huggins, lived
there.) Turn left on Hope Station Road. On the right is St. John’s
Lutheran Church which was originally established in 1754. On the
left are the old church (circa 1809), an old school and the cemetery.
The 1763 land grant included land for religious and educational
purposes. The school at St. John’s operated until 1921 when it consolidated
with Pomaria. Down the road on the left is Hope School, a Rosenwald
school which has very recently been renovated as a community center.
At the end of the road, across from the old W. D. Summer Store,
turn left on Peak Road (this becomes Folk Street as you come into
town). On the left is Pomaria Lutheran Church (organized in 1910).
This church was the outgrowth of a Sunday school held in the nearby
Bethel Academy in 1906. In 1921, Bethel Academy (not to be confused
with Mt. Bethel Academy) and St. John’s School merged to form Pomaria
School which is ahead on the left. Turn right on Holloway Street.
Turn right on Hwy 176. On the left is a historical marker commemorating
the site of the Eichelberger House, where the Lutheran Seminary
was established in 1831. Also on the left is Pomaria-Garmany Elementary
School. Turn right on New Hope Road. On the left is Bethlehem Lutheran
Church (organized circa 1788). Bethel Academy was an outgrowth of
this congregation.
Turn left on Graham Road. Before you get to St. Matthew’s Road on
the right is the site of Pressley School. Schools in this section
of the county were so far removed from the county’s high schools
that many were bused to Monticello High School in Fairfield County.
Turn left on Hwy 34. Turn right on Ringer Road. Cross Heller’s Creek
(several times). Turn left on Mt. Pleasant Church Road. Turn right
on Mt. Bethel-Garmany Road. Turn right on Hwy 176 and right again
on Molly’s Rock Road. In the woods off to the right is the site
of Mt. Bethel Academy. Founded by early Methodists, the classical
academy opened in 1795. The academy provided most of the first students
for South Carolina College (now USC). The school operated for about
twenty-five years. Turn right on Hwy 176. Turn left on Old Whitmire
Highway. On the right is the site of Long Lane School. A brick school
was built here in 1922 when the older schools of Beth Eden Church
and King’s Creek Church merged. Granite retaining walls can still
be seen marking the site.
At the end of Old Whitmire Hwy, turn left on Hwy 76 and right on
College Street and return to historic downtown Newberry.
The
Newberry Code:
A Different Kind of Road Trip
(July 2009)
The following is a Road Trip based on a fictional premise. The places
and events are real, but their interconnectedness is questionable.
There has been a lot of publicity lately about hidden codes in famous
landmarks and works of loosely historical fiction which reveal the
underlying connections. This trip follows along that type of vein:
that our founding fathers built our town with a hidden premise or
message. This preface is included only to warn those who might take
it seriously. (This is a walking road trip, so be sure to dress
for the weather and keep hydrated.) Follow the architectural elements
of Newberry and see where they lead.
Begin your journey to enlightenment on the Square in historic downtown
Newberry. The Square around the Old Court House is the heart of
downtown Newberry. This two acre lot was given by John Coate to
the newly formed county in 1789 as a site for the court house and
jail which would act as the judicial and governmental seat for Newberry
County. Since we all know that Newberry is the center of the universe,
this means that the Square is the center of the center. In essence
it is like the Capitoline Hill in Rome. The original town was laid
out by Marmaduke Coate as a series of blocks surrounded by a grid
of narrow streets. The Coates became the first real estate developers
in the downtown, selling off the blocks in one quarter acre lots.
This accounts for the land from Boundary Street to Harrington Street
and from Nance Street to College Street. While on the Square, have
a seat in the wooden park bench and take a look at the pediment
of the Old Court House’s portico. The decorative allegory was added
in 1879 when this building (the fourth court house on the site)
was being repaired following a fire. In this version of the “Scales
of Justice,” an eagle (the Federal government) uproots a Palmetto
tree (South Carolina) while a dove of peace (Reconstruction) tries
vainly to balance a Gamecock (our defiant spirit). Take a closer
look at the gamecock. Originally it sported a gold coin for its
eye (the coin subsequently disappeared during a later renovation),
giving it a special emphasis and marking it as the starting point
for our quest. The gamecock appears to be staring at something beyond
the eagle or the dove. If you follow the line of sight for the bird,
you will see that it is really looking at the tower of the Opera
House (despite the fact that the Opera House hadn’t been built yet.)
At the corner of Boyce and McKibben Streets is the Newberry Opera
House. Since its completion in 1882 as city offices and an auditorium,
the Opera House, too, has been a hub of community activity. This
handsome brick building features round arches, segmental arches
(encompassing a segment of a semicircle), granite trim and fine
corbelled brickwork. Perched atop the Opera House is a garfish acting
as a weather vane. Though it points in many directions, it must
be suggesting a path to Scott’s Creek. Walk north on McKibben Street.
On the left is the old Fire Station. The original fire department
was in the Opera House, but a separate building was completed in
the 1890’s. This was later remodeled in the Art Deco style of the
1930’s. On a building to the right is a Coca Cola advertisement
from the 1930’s (a refreshing reminder on a hot day) which was restored
about ten years ago. From the intersection of Harrington Street,
the Coppock House (home of the Newberry County Museum) can be seen
on the next hill beyond Scott’s Creek. Turn right on Harrington
Street. This isn’t the creek, but the street is parallel to it,
and there may be a clue ahead.
On the left at the corner of Caldwell Street is a small brick building
that was built as a veterinary office circa 1940. It has decorative
brick trim and round arches suggesting that this is the right track.
(Speaking of tracks, the basement vents on this building are made
from train wheel hubs.) Ahead is the County Court House. This neoclassical
building was constructed in 1908 and features Ionic columns (the
ones with the scrolls in the capitals), a round arch and other classical
details. Signaled by the arch and the columns, it’s time to change
direction. Turn left on College Street. Across from the post office
is the original site of the Gauntt house. Most of the land ahead
of us up to the college was at one time part of the Gauntt farm.
City Hall is on the right in the old Newberry Federal building.
Scott’s Creek is straight ahead. Across the creek, the office of
Pope & Hudgens reminds us of refreshment in the old Coca-Cola
Bottling Plant. Bethlehem Baptist Church, circa 1901, with its obelisk-shaped
tower is a clue to go upstream. Cross the parking lot for Lindsay
Furniture (in the old A&P building) to get to the Japanese Gardens.
A point of tranquility in an urban setting this exotic garden begun
in 1930 could be a destination itself. Pause for a seat in the shade
on a curved stone bench. To the right, the gate house roof curves
upward, pointing back to town. Follow the avenue of crape myrtles
and begin walking along Lindsay Street toward town. The steeple
of Redeemer can be seen above the skyline. The granite retaining
walls behind the Court House suggest another turn. Turn left on
Martin Street. Martin Street Beer Parlor was established in 1947
and might suggest another form of refreshment. Ahead, a granite
tower rises over the flies of the Ritz Theater (circa 1936). Ahead,
the Agriculture building and the School District Office are reminders
of other important aspects of life in Newberry. Near the end of
the street the residential district begins. At the end of Martin
Street on the left is the Hunt-Summer House which was built in 1908.
The houses along this section of Calhoun Street all have wide eaves
to shade the upper stories and wide porches which often wrap around
the sides. The Ionic Columns on the Hunt-Summer House suggest a
turn.
Turn right on Calhoun Street. Immediately on the right is Aveleigh
Presbyterian Church. Founded in 1835, the congregation moved to
this site in 1852. The present church, though remodeled several
times, was begun in 1907 after the old church was destroyed in the
Great Fire. Ahead on the left is Newberry ARP Church (also circa
1907) and on the right is St. Luke’s Episcopal Church which was
rebuilt after the Tornado of 1984. All of these churches feature
Gothic arches (slender and pointed) and urge us to go straight ahead.
After crossing Main and then Friend Streets, there is a cluster
of columned houses. On the left is the John Kinard House (circa
1900) with porches of Ionic columns. Ahead, through the trees at
the end of Calhoun Street is Coateswood (circa 1848) with Doric
columns (similar to those found on the Old Court House). On the
right is the Floyd-Carpenter House (circa 1902) with a curved portico
of Corinthian columns (leafy capitals). All these columns signal
a turn. Turn right on Johnstone Street. Across from the Anderson
House (a brick home circa 1890) is a granite marker in the yard
of the Paysinger House which marks the spot where Newberry troops
were mustered for the War Between the States. On the right is the
Pool-Trefsgar House (circa 1910) with Ionic columns across the wide
front porch. Turn left through the church parking lot.
Across from the end of the parking lot is the Higgins House (circa
1820). The portico indicates a turn. Turn right on Boundary Street.
The arches in the Family Life Center and the Lutheran Church of
the Redeemer mark that this is the right way. Founded in 1853, this
1965 church is the third building to house the congregation. Across
the street, granite retaining walls mark the site of the old Boundary
Street School. The present school building has more segmental arches
leading the way along this street. In the distance to the right,
the tower of Central Methodist can be seen. On the right at the
corner of College Street is the Female Academy. Built in the 1850’s,
it was the only brick school building in the county before the Civil
War. Ahead is First Baptist Church (circa 1908) with its Doric portico.
Turn right on Caldwell Street.
Immediately on the right are two early twentieth century houses
with wide front porches. On the right is Central Methodist Church.
Built in 1900, this church features many round arches and beautiful
stained glass windows. On the left at the corner of Friend Street
is the first building that was constructed to house the Post Office.
Prior to its 1880 construction, the post office was housed in the
hotel. Corbelled arches in the facade suggest this is the right
path. The arches continue in the Old Hotel at the corner of Main
Street. This Romanesque style building was designed by G. L. Norman
(who later designed the Opera House) in 1880.
Across the street, a mural on the side of Jezebelles depicts an
early twentieth century street scene. A gentleman reads a copy of
the Observer while sitting on a park bench. Now missing arches from
the hotel are reflected in the painted store windows. Is the man
in the mural really looking at the paper? By standing in front of
him and looking back at the hotel, it could be that he is really
staring at an unusual decoration on a third floor gable window:
a curious smiling face. This enigmatic Mona Lisa smile suggests
a conclusion. If there is a hidden message downtown, it might be
this: enjoy those wide porches during the summertime, observe the
town around you and smile. After all, this is the city of friendly
folk! (Also some cold refreshment might be in order, too.)
May
Road Trip
May 2009
This is a month of commemoration. So far we’ve had Mother’s Day,
Confederate Memorial Day and Memorial Day, and Father’s Day is just
around the corner. No matter where you drive in Newberry County,
there’s something nearby related to commemoration. It’s a beautiful
time of year to get out and enjoy nature’s plenty and maybe encounter
some history or a special memory along the way.
Begin your tour on the Square in historic downtown Newberry. Before
leaving, wander around and visit the war memorials behind the Old
Court House (Confederate Monument, Korean War and the Vietnam War)
and in Memorial Square across from the Opera House (World War I
and World War II). Take a moment to remember those who gave their
lives for our freedom. From the Square, head east on Main Street.
Turn left on College Street. Just past Newberry College is Rosemont
Cemetery. Established in 1862 to replace the overcrowded Village
Cemetery, Rosemont is another good place to remember and commemorate.
Turn right on Whitener Road. Turn left on Mt. Bethel-Garmany Road.
May is resplendent with beautiful blossoms and the recent rain has
produced lush foliage. Among the many blooms found along the roadsides
during this trip are various Roses (mostly white, red and pink),
Yucca (tall spikes of creamy white flowers), Queen Anne’s Lace,
Daisies, Vetch (mostly purple), Honeysuckle, Prickly Pear Cactus
(yellow flowers – mind the thorns) and the ubiquitous orange Daylily.
On the left is the old Kennerly House, a two story frame home built
circa 1900. Across I-26 is the Brown House, a typical farmhouse
with end chimneys made of granite. If you remember the old mural
that used to be on the side of Newberry Drug, this was the house
in the background. The granite in the chimney reminds us that there
is a granite ridge which runs almost east to west across the county.
In fact, just down the road granite outcroppings and boulders begin
to appear. On the left at the corner of King’s Creek Road stands
a one story frame house built in the mid-19th century. The old Mt.
Bethel-Garmany School is also on the left. It is now a community
center. Lebanon Methodist Church is on the left. It was founded
in 1875, and its cemetery is down the dirt road to the side of the
church. On the right, in a bend in the road is the Chalmers-Brown
House. Begun in the 1830’s, it was enlarged in the 1850’s.
At Hwy 176, jog to the right to stay on Mt. Bethel-Garmany Road.
Even with the underbrush filling in, the old road trace is visible
in many places. Turn left on Mt. Pleasant Church Road. There are
lots of Honey Locust trees along hear which evoke thoughts of fall
and persimmon beer. On the left is the Graham House, a typical farm
house with end chimneys and a wide front porch. Like many older
homes, it has two front doors. Just beyond Ringer Road on the left,
the Darby cemetery overlooks the road. Stay on Mt. Pleasant Church
Road as Maybinton Road veers off to the left. Down the road on the
left will be Mt. Pleasant Methodist Church. Though the present church
was built in the twentieth century, the congregation was established
in 1822. After the road bends to the right beyond Old Blair Road
is Glymphville. Once large enough to boast a post office, the name
of the community is still preserved in a road name.
Cross Hwy 34 onto Broad River Road. After St. Matthew’s Church Road
is the Suber-Dickert House on the left. Built by the Suber family
in the 1850’s, it was later the home of Col. Augustus Dickert. Among
other things, Col. Dickert is remembered for riding his horse up
the steps of the Old Court House during a heated political rally
in 1876. Down the road on the right is Crooks House. Built in 1896,
it has a wraparound porch with decorative brackets. At the corner
of New Hope Road is an old store building with its front porch resting
on piers made of pebbles and small rocks. This was Ruff’s Store.
While crossing the first “fill” at Heller’s Creek, notice the causeway
to the old bridge below on the right. Down the road is the Cannon’s
Creek Fill. These “fills” were created when the Broad River was
dammed for the Parr Reservoir. Turn right on Peak Road (even though
we aren’t going there this time and the road doesn’t go there either).
On the right is the old Summer’s Store. Turn left on Hope Station
Road. On the right is St. Paul’s AME Church. Next door to it is
the old Hope School, a Rosenwald School which is being renovated
as a community center. At the top of the hill, Little Mountain can
be seen rising in the distance. Near the Crim’s Creek crossing,
the newest section of the Palmetto Trail crosses the road. This
segment begins at Alston in Fairfield County, crosses the Broad
River trestle at Peak and winds up behind Wilson’s Grocery in Pomaria.
St. John’s Lutheran Church has served this area for 254 years and
is usually considered the epicenter for the old Dutch Fork. The
“new” church is on the left, while the school, cemetery and old
church are on the right. The old church was built in 1808. The site
of the original church is marked by a granite monument on the other
side of the cemetery. Turn right on Hwy 176. On the right is the
Stuck House which was built circa 1910. Down the road on the right
is the Summer-Huggins House which was built circa 1826. This was
the seat for Pomaria Plantation and the origin of the town’s name.
A small building behind the house served as the first post office
in Pomaria. Cross Crim’s Creek into downtown Pomaria. The town was
established in 1851 as a depot on the Greenville and Columbia Railroad
and has some really nice nineteenth and early twentieth century
homes. Turn right on Holloway Street. On the left is Oakland House
which was begun in 1821. It has a two-story portico on the front
and a separate office building in the yard. On the left opposite
the end of Folk Street is the Holloway House. Tradition has it that
the front porch of this house (the home of the first mayor of Pomaria)
served as the center point for the circle of the town limits. Turn
right on Hwy 176 and then left on St. Paul’s Road. Just after the
end of Jollystreet Road is the old Epting House with its wraparound
porch.
On the left is St. Paul’s Lutheran Church. Established in 1761,
it is the oldest Lutheran congregation that has always been in Newberry
County (St. John’s was in Lexington for a while). The present granite
church was built in 1938 and sits beside a large cemetery. Be sure
to notice the granite bench that protrudes from a tree in front
of the church. Cross I-26. On the right work can be seen on the
new Industrial Park. On the left is the golf course for Mid-Carolina
Country Club. Turn right on Hwy 76.
Prosperity was originally called Frog Level and was also a depot
on the Greenville and Columbia Railroad. Founded in 1851, the town’s
name was changed to Prosperity in 1873. The town has many beautiful
nineteenth century homes. On the left is Grace Lutheran Church.
Founded in 1859, the church was originally called Newville. Turn
left on Grace Street. At the town square, turn right on North Main
Street. On the hill to the left at the edge of town is the Wise-Connelly
House which was built circa 1852. Follow Main Street as it merges
with Hwy 76 and return to historic downtown Newberry.
This trip is dedicated to the memory of Mrs. Grace Werts Evans.
There
& Back Again: A Saluda Excursion
April 2009
Begin your tour on the Square in historic downtown Newberry. In
front of the Old Court House is a granite marker which indicates
the distance to neighboring county seats and other important places.
One of the distances shown is to Edgefield. Today it is two counties
over, but, prior to the 1890’s when Saluda Greenwood and McCormick
Counties were formed, Edgefield was our immediate neighbor to the
south. Today you would get to Edgefield by taking Highways 121 and
23 through Saluda County; however, in the days of ferries, fords
and bridges, there were at least nine ways to cross over into Edgefield.
We’re not going quite that far today.
From the Square turn left on Nance Street and right on Boundary
Street. Follow it as it merges into Hwy 121. All through today’s
Road Trip look out for the colors of spring. There are green fields
stretching across rolling hills, bright green new leaves set against
the dark of the evergreens and flowers in bloom everywhere. In yards,
azaleas are taking the forefront while ragged robins (cornflower)
dominate the fields and ditches and white and purple flags are found
around old home sites. Butterflies are everywhere.
Stay on Hwy 121 through Deadfall Crossroads. On the left, after
Deadfall Road, is the Blair-Boozer House. Its massive double-shouldered
chimney marks it as having been built in the early 19th century.
Also on the left is the Werts House which was begun in 1896. After
Long Farm Road on the left is the site of the Higgins House. The
house was later moved to Lake Murray. The Higgins Family operated
a ferry across the Saluda River, just south of the present bridge.
Cross the Saluda River into Saluda County. Originally part of Edgefield
County, Saluda County was established in 1895. Its name comes from
the river which, in turn, comes from an Indian word meaning “River
of Corn.”
Just beyond Hightower Road on the right is the Coleman House with
its impressive portico of Ionic columns. Turn right on Hollywood
Road and left on Pine Pleasant Church Road. On the left is another
Coleman House, this one with Corinthian columns. Down the road on
the right is Pine Pleasant Baptist Church. This old brick church
was established in 1831 and has a nice cemetery. Under a granite
canopy in front of the church is the grave of Luther Rice (1783-1836),
a Baptist minister and orator who helped organized the Baptist Church
on a national scale and placed an emphasis on foreign missions and
education. Continue on down the road. Notice the dogwoods blooming
in the woods. This road follows the old road trace very closely.
It gets a bit muddy at times, but it is nothing compared to the
high-banked ditch that forms the road trace off to one side. Throughout
this section of the trip most of the creeks are tributaries of Big
Creek which meanders through northeastern Saluda County on its way
to Little Saluda River and Lake Murray. On the right after the second
creek is a series of channels which may be the site of an old mill.
At the stop sign, turn left on Zoar Road. (On the map this appears
as Coleman’s Crossroads.) “Moo” at the cows in the beautiful pastures
with the meandering stream. On the left is Zoar Methodist Church.
Founded prior to 1830, this was originally called Persimmon Creek
Church. In the cemetery are many old tombstones and an unusual grave
enclosure. These enclosures over family plots were common in the
18th and 19th centuries, but are rarely seen today. This one has
a wooden roof and a picket fence. At the end of the road, turn right
on Hwy 121. (On this side of the river it’s called Newberry Hwy.)
Cross Big Creek. Turn right on John J. Rushton Road. After the pavement
ends, enjoy the fields, pastures and forests. Cross Dry Creek and
then Big Creek again.
Turn right on Old Town Ruritan Road. On the left, near the end of
the road is a lonely old building that may have been a house or
a school. Turn left on Yarborough Road. Turn left on Shiloh Church
Road. Cross Big Creek again. On the right is Shiloh Methodist Church.
This church was established in the 19th century and has an extensive
cemetery across the road. Turn left on Hwy 39 (Chappells Road).
As you get closer to town, early 20th century houses begin to appear.
When you cross into town (Saluda, the county seat), the highway
becomes North Jefferson Street. On the right just beyond Elwood
Street is a nice two-story house with a portico and wraparound porch.
After crossing Greenwood Hwy (Travis Avenue), another grand 2-story
house is on the right. Turn right on West Butler Street and left
on North Calhoun Street. On the right is Mt. Pleasant Lutheran Church.
Founded in 1903, the present brick church was begun in 1925. The
church was remodeled in 1963 with new stained glass windows. Turn
left on West Church Street. On the left, at the corner of Main Street,
is the mural depicting the treaty of Old Town in 1755. Across Main
Street on the right is the Saluda County Court House on the Square.
Next door to the court house is the Saluda Museum in an Art Deco
theater. (After the Square, the street becomes East Church Street.)
At the end of the street is Redbank Baptist Church which was founded
in 1784. Predating the town by over a century, it was named for
nearby Red Bank Creek. The present brick church is the third sanctuary
and was built in 1911. It has a portico with Ionic columns, a cupola
and a bell tower to side. It has a nice extensive cemetery. Turn
around and stay on Church Street.
Turn right on North Rudolph Street. On the right is Ramey Funeral
Home which is housed in a turn of the century home. Turn left on
East Butler Street. On the left is St. Paul’s Methodist Church which
was founded in 1898. This church was rebuilt in 1917. Turn right
on North Main Street and right on Travis Avenue. Turn left on Hwy
194 (North Jennings Street). Bear to the right to stay on Hwy 194
as it becomes Denny Hwy. Turn left on Butler Road and then right
on Butler Church Road. The land for Butler Methodist Church was
given in 1856 by Maj. Gen. William Butler and his wife Behetheland.
Their home was nearby and they are buried in cemetery. The present
church was completed in 1947. It has a beautiful setting, with pastures
and fields all around. Return to Denny Hwy and turn left.
On right old store, cross Big Creek, Several Hollywood buildings
are visible to the right, the school, fire station and Ruritan club,
cross Indian Creek, on right is Salem Baptist Church, cemetery on
left, cross Hwy 395 (Nance Street), Cherokee Trail joins in, left
on Corinth Road, on left is Corinth Lutheran Church (1842, 1927),
since my last trip out here they’ve added a family life center,
memorial for Corinth School (1830-1927), stay on Corinth Road, when
you get to Hwy 194, turn left, on right an interesting old house
2 story wraparound several additions, at the end of the road, turn
left on Hwy 391, cross Black’s Bridge into Newberry County, turn
left on St. Luke’s Church Road, Big Creek (not the same one), winding
mountainous road, on right at intersection of Stoney Hill Road is
St. Luke’s Lutheran Church (1828, 1957), cross 3 branches of Timothy
Creek, on left at intersection of Fire Tower Road is Dunker Cemetery,
Rock House, Kinard’s Creek, Lester House, turn right on Hwy 395,
Hartford School, return to Historic Downtown Newberry.
Spring
Fever
March 2009
We’ve had a few warm days, but the cool days are not quite over.
The deciduous trees are still bare, but the tiniest hints of spring
foliage are beginning to appear. The flowering bulbs of February
are nearly over, but forsythia (yellow bells) and Star of Bethlehem
are here to take their place. It’s time to hit the road and enjoy
some of the rolling hills, beautiful farms and winding creeks of
southwestern Newberry County. While we’re at it, we’ll probably
get a little history, too. Begin your tour on the Square in historic
downtown Newberry.
From the Square, turn left on Nance Street and follow it as it becomes
Hwy 395. Turn right on Mendenhall Road. If the early blooms of spring
are not enough, stop by Carter and Holmes to see some indoor blooms.
Turn left on Dennis Dairy Road. On the right (at the historical
marker) is the old Quaker cemetery. Most of the Quakers came to
Newberry by way of Virginia and Pennsylvania. They began settling
here around 1765 and remained until the congregation left beginning
in 1808. Many of those families initially moved west into the Ohio
River valley. At the end of the road, turn right on Deadfall Road.
While driving through the roads among fields and forests this time
of year, keep an eye out for the colors of early spring. Judas trees
(eastern redbud) can be seen with purple flowers and the reddish
buds of maple trees are beginning to show. White blooms of pear
and wild plum and the pink of peach blossoms can be seen in the
edges of fields and near farm sites. A low-growing purple weed,
henbit, can be seen on roadsides and in yards. Thrift, another low-growing
plant, can be seen in masses of purple, pink and white in yards
and at old home sites. The bright yellow trumpets of Yellow Jessamine,
our state flower, also herald the coming of spring. This bloom,
which is found in every corner of South Carolina, became an official
state emblem in 1924.
Shortly after Deadfall Crossroads, the road merges with Hwy 34.
This is Main Street for Silverstreet. Founded as Shop Springs, a
depot on the Columbia and Greenville Railroad, the town’s name was
changed to Silverstreet early in its history. As Hwy 34 veers off
turn right on Silverstreet Road. Turn left on Island Ford Road.
A road leading from Pennington’s Fort on the Enoree to the Indian
Island Ford (now under Lake Greenwood) was commissioned in 1770.
That road more closely followed what is now Hwy 560 and part of
Poplar Spring Road which forms the border between Newberry and Laurens
Counties; however, the name is preserved in this road which has
been around since at least 1807. Down the road to the left is Windmill
Farm, a typical Newberry County farmhouse of the mid-nineteenth
century. Cross Little River. This small river drains much of the
western part of the county into the Saluda River. Cross Mudlick
Creek. The Battle of Mudlick Creek, a small Revolutionary War battle,
took place about five miles upstream from here. The battle took
place on March 2, 1781, at William’s Fort and was considered a patriot
victory (just barely). Down the road on the right is Crossroads
Baptist Church. Organized in 1807, it is an outgrowth of Bush River
Baptist Church. The old meeting house is set amid a beautiful cemetery.
The drive follows the old road trace. A second road (hence the name
of the church) came from the side near the outhouse and does not
have a counterpart on today’s map.
Cross Sharp’s Creek. At the end of the road, turn right on Hwy 34.
Welcome to Chappells. In 1792, Thomas Chappell was given permission
to build a bridge over the Saluda River. The town grew up around
the bridge (and at times ferry) which was to the east of the present
bridge on Hwy 39. Stay on Hwy 34 to the very edge of the county.
Just before the Saluda River bridge is Buzzard’s Roost. Turn right
to get to the river access ramp. A short walk away is the Lake Greenwood
dam, which was completed in 1940. The Buzzard’s Roost Hydro-electric
plant is now part of Santee-Cooper. Return to Hwy 34 and turn left.
Turn left on Scurry Church Road. Glimpses of Lake Greenwood may
be caught to the left. On the left is Scurry-Spring Hill Baptist
Church, an African-American church with an extensive cemetery. The
church has an unusual façade with two short towers flanking the
gable. At the intersection of Hwy 39, the Boazman House, circa 1845,
can be seen with its wide front porch and decorative brackets. Turn
left on Hwy 39. At the intersection of Hwy 56, the Scurry House
is to the left. Begun in the early nineteenth century this home
was extensively remodeled in the early twentieth century. In the
distance behind the house can be seen the family cemetery.
Bear right on Hwy 56. Among the things that made land in this area
so attractive to settlers were the many creeks which twist and turn
through fertile farmland. First, you’ll cross Page’s Creek and then
Mill Creek. Both are tributaries of Mudlick Creek, which in turn
flows into Little River. About two miles up Mill Creek from this
point is the site of Caldwell’s Mill. Three Revolutionary patriots
(James, John and William Caldwell) lived there. Turn right on Mudlick
Road. Cross Mudlick Creek. Turn left on Island Ford Road. Turn left
on Sandy Run Creek Road. Along this road you will cross Mechanic
Creek, Sandy Run Creek and Reeder Branch, all of which flow into
Little River. The number of creeks also encourages wildlife – I
saw a flock of wild turkeys along this stretch. Turn right on Brehmer
Road. On the right in the middle of a field, a lonely monument in
an iron fence marks a Dominick family cemetery. Turn right on Belfast
Road. Turn left on Sim Abrams Road. Cross Sandy Run Creek. Turn
right on Floyd Road. Turn left on Bel Ivy Road. In this part of
the county, a lot of place names and roads have the prefix “bel.”
This is from the Gaelic word for “spring” and is a tribute to the
Scots-Irish families that settled here both before and after the
Revolution. Cross Welch Creek. This creek merges with Beaver Dam
Creek before joining the Saluda River.
Turn left on Belfast Road. Cross Welch Creek, again. On a hill to
the left (just before you get to Rocky Creek Road) is the cemetery
for Old Kadesh Methodist Church. An eighteenth century congregation,
Kadesh merged with Shady Grove in 1835 to become Trinity Methodist
Church. On the right is Smyrna Presbyterian Church. This church
was organized in 1838 by the Boozer, Senn and Clary families. Among
the many old monuments in the churchyard is one to Sgt. Henry Boozer
(1756-1837) who served in the South Carolina militia during the
Revolutionary War. Beyond the church on the left, the portico of
The Oaks, an antebellum plantation is visible across a field. (This
house has a museum connection – it belonged at one point to E. S.
Coppock who also owned the home which houses the museum.) Cross
Bush River. The old trestle bridge is visible to the right. After
you cross Hwy 121, the road becomes O’Neall Street. Continue through
the West End neighborhood and return to historic downtown Newberry.
Black
History Month
February
2009
Since February is Black History Month, the Road Trip this month
will have a look at some historic sites related to African-American
heritage. Begin your tour on the Square in historic downtown Newberry.
On the north side of the Square at the corner of Boyce Street (where
Gentlemen’s Corner is now) was the residence and store of Antoine
Gilbal. Prior to his death in 1842, Gilbal, a native of France,
operated a candy store and bar in Newberry. He is also believed
to have had the first inter-racial marriage in town. Walk around
the Square to the Opera House. During the renovations, the grand
chandelier in the auditorium was dedicated to the memory of Dr.
Julian E. Grant (1900-1997) a black physician who worked in Newberry
for over forty years.
From the Square, turn right on Nance Street and right on Harrington
Street. Turn left on College Street. Bethlehem Baptist Church. Turn
right on Evans Street. On the left is Newberry College. In 1966,
Nancy Lou Anderson became the first African-American to attend.
Turn right on Lindsay Street. On the left at the corner of Cheek
Street is the site of St. Monica’s Episcopal Church. St. Luke’s
Episcopal Church established a mission called St. Luke the Physician
which operated a school for African-American children on Lindsay
Street beginning in 1899. Later the church changed its name to St.
Monica and relocated to South Street. The congregation merged with
St. Luke’s in the 1970’s. At the end of the street, turn right on
Main Street.
Turn left on McKibben Street. Traditionally, African-American businesses
in the downtown were located along Nance and McKibben Streets between
Main and Johnstone Streets and along Friend Street from Caldwell
Street west to the railroad tracks. A brick building which is no
longer standing occupied the space between the two existing buildings
on the right (it would have been 1107-9). That building housed F.B.
Pratt Funeral Home (established in 1929) and Singleton’s Drug Store
on the ground floor with Dr. Grant’s and Dr. Benjamin Qualls’ (a
dentist working here from 1923-1955) offices upstairs.
Turn left on Friend Street and right on Caldwell Street to visit
Graveltown. Newberry’s oldest African-American community, Graveltown
was laid out after the War Between the States along the south fork
of Scott’s Creek off of Caldwell and Drayton Streets. It takes its
name from its proximity to a granite quarry. Just before you cross
the railroad tracks on the right is the site of Hoge School. Founded
in 1867 by the Freedman’s Bureau, it was named for Samuel Hoge who
was a Congressman during the Reconstruction era. After the railroad
tracks on the left (at 600 Caldwell) is an early twentieth century
house which was operated by Rosalie Lessane as a “Tourist Home.
“ At 500 Caldwell Street stands Miller Chapel AME Church. Founded
in 1869, it is one of the oldest African-American churches in the
county. Turn right on Milligan Street and follow it the end. This
is the Werts Cemetery. Many of the older monuments are handmade
of concrete.
Leave the cemetery along Hill Street and turn left on Drayton Street.
On the left is Drayton Street School which served as the high school
for the African-American community from 1921-1954. It continued
to serve as a middle school and elementary school into the 1960’s.
The building that still stands was the gymnasium which was built
in 1947. Turn left on Center Street. As the road bends to become
South Street, the current facility for F.B. Pratt Funeral Home is
on the left. Turn left on McSwain Street. Ahead on the right is
the old Gallman High School. Completed in 1954, this school was
built during the “separate but equal” era. It was named for Ulysses
S. Gallman, Sr., who was a black educator and supervisor for the
Jeanes Fund (Southern Education Fund) for forty-four years. After
integration Gallman School served as a middle school and later as
an elementary school. The new Gallman Elementary School is located
on Hawkins Road. As McSwain Street curves around the school it becomes
Brantley Street. Stay on this street and turn left on Drayton Street.
Turn right on Crosson Street and left on Vincent Street. On the
right at 1706 Vincent Street is a raised cottage which was built
around 1875. This was the residence of George W. Singleton who operated
Singleton’s Drug Store at 1109 McKibben Street (at the time it was
Nance Street). On the left, a park marks the site of the People’s
Hospital (1719 Vincent Street). Dr. Grant established the hospital
when he came to Newberry in 1929. It served the African-American
community until about 1950, when Newberry County Memorial Hospital
began treating everyone.
Continue on Vincent Street. When you cross Kendall Road you will
be in Helena. Founded as a depot on the Columbia and Greenville
Railroad, Helena was named for Helen O’Neall, the wife of John Belton
O’Neall. It was the location of the maintenance shops for the railroad
and was also the point where the Laurens Railroad branched in 1854
(the branch was later moved and is now behind Newberry Elementary
School). On the right at the corner of Gray Street is Mt. Zion Baptist
Church. Founded in 1896, the present church was built in 1968. Turn
right on Giff Street. On the left is the new Helena Community Center.
Turn left on Brown Chapel Road. Turn right on Belfast Road. Turn
left on Spearman Road.
Down the road on the right is Reuben Elementary School. This school
was named for Dr. Odell Richardson Reuben (1918-70). A native of
Silverstreet, Dr. Reuben received his Ph.D. from Duke University
and served as a Baptist minister. He was President of Morris College
in Sumter from 1948-1970. At the end of the road, turn left on Main
Street (Hwy 34). Turn left on Hwy 34-121. On the left, behind Senn
Trucking Company is the old building for Elisha School. Elisha was
one of several Rosenwald schools in the county. Rosenwald was Vice-president
of Sears and set up a fund to help build black schools across the
south. The local communities would raise half of the money or materials
and the fund would pay the remainder. This fund helped to build
standardized schoolhouses across the south. Usually the schools
are closely associated with a church. This school is located about
halfway between Elisha AME (on Elisha Church Road) and Welch Zion
Baptist Church. Continue on Hwy 34-121. On the left is Welch Zion
Baptist Church. Founded in 1890, the present church was rebuilt
in 1945. The church stands on land which was given by the Welch
family who lived in the house opposite the end of Harold Bowers
Road.
Stay on Hwy 34-121. As you approach town it becomes Boundary Street.
The west end of Boundary Street is called Cannon Town and is a traditionally
African-American neighborhood. Stay on Boundary Street and return
to historic downtown Newberry.
Winter
Vistas
January 2009
Winter is here, and you know what that means – it’s the perfect
time to see things in the woods that are usually hidden by underbrush.
On this trip through the county, be on the lookout for old house
sites and family cemeteries that are often obscured by foliage.
A stand of deciduous hardwoods among the pines, a crumbling chimney
or granite fence posts may be all that is left of a family homestead.
This is the time of year to spot them. It’s also a good time to
get a feel for the local geography. Without the dense underbrush,
creeks are more visible as they meander through the rolling hills.
Begin your tour on the Square in historic downtown Newberry. Looking
south on McKibben Street there’s something new that has appeared
in the downtown vista. The classical portico of one side of the
new library acts as the new focal point for the end of the street.
The new building opened this month and is named for Hal Kohn, a
local businessman who, among other things, operated a book store
where Jezebelle’s is now.
From the Square, head south on Nance Street and turn right on Boundary
Street. Bear left on Dennis Dairy Road. Be sure to watch for the
Quaker Cemetery to the right. This is the most visible reminder
of the Quakers that lived in Newberry from the 1760’s until the
1810’s. When you pass Dennis Dairy Lane, the road becomes O’Dell
Ruff Road. Turn left on Deadfall Road. On the left is New Chapel
Methodist Church. Founded in the first decade of the 19th century,
the church was moved to its current site in the 1830’s. (I guess
that makes the previous site “old New Chapel.”) The present church
building was begun in 1879. New Chapel marks the beginning of Utopia
community. Unlike Thomas Moore’s version (for which this section
of the county was named) Utopia is bounded by New Chapel, the Saluda
River, Bush River and Stoney Hill. Turn right on George Loop. On
the left is the Cannon House which was built around 1870. It was
the home of Dr. D. A. Cannon (1831-1890), a local physician. Continue
bearing to the left to stay on George Loop. At the end, turn right
on Deadfall Road. In the woods across Beaver Dam Creek was the site
of Utopia School which consolidated with six other schools in 1924
to become Silverstreet School. Across from Hannah AME Church is
Hannah School, a Rosenwald school from the 1930’s. In the 1960’s
it, too, was consolidated into Silverstreet.
Turn right on Hwy 395. All through this trip watch for farmhouses.
There are several old ones along this stretch of road. Turn left
on Stoney Hill Road. Perched at one hilltop, the view ahead to the
next hill is what I like to call “Bush River Valley.” At this point,
widening toward Lake Murray, the stream looks more river-like than
it does at almost any other point. Turn right on Fred Kunkle Road.
This part of the trip has beautiful rolling hills. Be sure to “moo”
at the cows as you pass. Turn left on Harmon Quarters Road. Turn
right on Stoney Hill Road. On the right is Stoney Hill Community
Center in the old school building. The school was established in
1925 when two smaller schools consolidated. In 1958, Stoney Hill
was consolidated into Prosperity. On the left is St. Luke’s Lutheran
Church. Founded in 1828, the present church was built in 1955. Turn
right on St. Luke’s Church Road. There’s a good bit of wildlife
around this time of year. Keep an eye out for hawks and geese (and
of course deer). On the left, an old farmhouse is clearly visible
on Hunter Lane. At the end of the road, turn left on Hwy 391.
Bear to the right on Walker Road. Straight across from the end of
the road is the Bedenbaugh House, a fine Victorian home. Turn right
on Ira Kinard Road. On the left is O’Neall Fire Station and Community
Center. Also on the left is Mt. Moriah AME Church, which was begun
in 1914. Like many roads on the eastern end of Newberry County,
this road ends at Lake Murray. Completed in 1930, this 50,000 acre
lake was built to provide hydro-electric power. Today, it is a major
recreational and residential attraction for the region. When you
get to the lake, turn around and head back up Ira Kinard Road. Turn
right on Huston Road.
Turn right on Bethel Church Road. There is a beautiful old farmhouse
on the right. Just beyond it is Bethel Baptist Church. Founded in
1840, the present building was remodeled in 1971. Down the road
on the left is Mt. Olivet Lutheran Church. Founded in 1882, the
gothic revival church was built in 1890. Follow the road out to
the lake and turn around. Turn left on Zion Church Road. On the
left is Zion Methodist Church with its churchyard extending to both
sides of the road. Founded in 1813 as Harmon’s Church, the congregation
moved to the present site in 1829. The present sanctuary was built
in 1936. Continue on Zion Church Road. Turn right on Hwy 391.
Turn right on Rikard School Road and left in the second entrance
to Prosperity Cemetery. About halfway down on either side is the
oldest part of the cemetery. The Prosperity Associate Reformed Presbyterian
(ARP) was established here in 1802. The church moved into town in
1889. From the cemetery, turn right on McNeary Street (Hwy 391).
Posperity is blessed with many beautiful homes from the last quarter
of the nineteenth century. On the left, at the corner of Dominick
Street is the Hunter-Fellers House. Begun in the nineteenth century
as a frame building, the classical portico and the brick siding
were added in the early twentieth century. On the left, on the corner
of Church Street is the Dr. C. T. Wyche House, circa 1890, with
its elaborate gingerbread decoration. On the right is the Prosperity
Depot for the Columbia, Newberry and Laurens railroad which arrived
in town in 1890. Follow the bend over the railroad tracks and turn
left on Main Street. Turn right on Grace Street. On the right is
Grace Lutheran Church which is getting ready to celebrate the 150th
anniversary of its founding. Established in 1859 as Newville, the
name was changed to Grace in 1878. The present sanctuary was built
in 1974. Turn left on Wheeler Street (Hwy 76). Turn right on Bachman
Chapel Road.
The vistas of hills, forests and pastures are particularly beautiful
this time of year. On the right, at the corner of Candy Kitchen
Road, is Bachman Chapel Lutheran Church. Established in 1886, the
church is named for Rev. Dr. John Bachman who, among other things,
was one of the founders of Newberry College. When you cross Jolly
Street Road, this road becomes St. Philip’s Church Road. Turn left
on Halfacre Road. Turn right on Clayton Memorial Church Road. Immediately
on the left is the Gallman House which was built circa 1860. Down
the road on the right is Clayton Memorial Universalist Church which
was established in 1907. At the end of the road, turn left on Hwy
219. Follow this road as it becomes Main Street and return to historic
downtown Newberry.
